


Start Over

by thesparkliingunic0rn



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, SuperCorp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:47:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 41,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24806431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesparkliingunic0rn/pseuds/thesparkliingunic0rn
Summary: Kara and Lena reconnect, which leads them to become closer than they could have dreamed of.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 61
Kudos: 400





	1. First Step

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, this story is set after season 5 and center around Kara and Lena. :)

"I wasn't ready to accept your apology, but maybe... maybe I am now." Kara said with a slight smile that made Lena's heart flutter in a way it hadn't fluttered in a very long time.

Suddenly, she felt as if a crushing weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

As if the thick heaviness of her heart had been erased and replaced with a renewed hope that she hadn't felt in so long that she didn't even remember what this feeling was until she felt it again at this very moment.

Tears of relief made their way into her eyes and her voice got caught in her throat. She swallowed thickly and tried to keep her tears inside.

"Okay," she exhaled. "What now?"

"Well, there's still one bad guy left to catch."

A smile tugged at Lena's lips at the chance Kara offered her to team up together to stop Lex and save the world.

"Let's go take my brother down." Lena put an arm out, expecting a handshake, but secretly wishing for a hug.

A hug that she didn't know how to ask for.

A hug that she wasn't even sure she was allowed to wish for.

Kara gave her another smile as she stuck her arm out and slid her hand into Lena's.

Lena felt new tears well into her eyes at the contact of Kara's hand in hers. After such a long time apart, she had forgotten how much it felt right and good to be touched by Kara. And now that she had finally chosen to let go of the anger and pain Kara's betrayal had caused her, she could finally allow herself to feel again the love she had for her best friend. Or was it, her former best friend?

Although they had chosen to forgive, Lena wasn't sure what they were for each other at this very moment.

A lump made its way into Lena's throat when she realized that it wasn't because Kara had chosen to forgive her that they were back at being best friends. They were going to team up to catch Lex, but what if Kara didn't want anything more from her after that? That thought made Lena's heart ache until she chose to only focus on the contact of Kara's hand in hers.

She looked down at their joined hands. The ache of her heart soothed. She was still wishing for a hug, but she felt that it wasn't her place to initiate it and she had accepted the fact that Kara probably wasn't going to initiate it either.

 _One step at a time,_ Lena silently told herself.

Kara's heart raced at the sensation of Lena's hand in her own as her feelings for the woman she had been in love with for years came back all at once, almost submerging her like the highest of wave. She was so grateful that Lena didn't have super-hearing making her able to hear the pounding of her heart against her ribcage. She tried to calm down her overwhelming emotions and focused on listening Lena's heartbeat. It was something she did for years every time things were becoming too much. It always centered her. It was something she had kept doing even when she and Lena weren't on the best of terms. It was the thing that had made her feel that with enough time and patience she could've had Lena in her life again.

And now, Lena was here, standing in front of her, with no sign of anger lingering into those deep hypnotizing green eyes she could have gotten lost into forever.

Lena's hand was so soft in her own, and Kara wished she never had to let go.

Kara wished they could share more than a handshake. She wanted to hug Lena more than ever, but given the effect the mere contact of their joined hands provoked within her, Kara was afraid of the feelings that would course through her body if she were to find herself in a tight embrace with the only person she had truly fallen in love with.

They held on tight to each other's hand even long after they sealed their new mission with a handshake.

None of them wanted to let go of the contact of their joined hands.

Both were afraid of having to live without each other again.

Kara rubbed softly her thumb over Lena's hand. Tears welled into her eyes when she began thinking about the painful emptiness that had tightened her heart until Lena had shown up at her doorstep early in the morning. It was true that she hadn't wanted to let her in at first. But that was mainly because she had wanted to protect herself from the only one that could shatter her.

Despite what most people thought, kryptonite wasn't Kara's greatest weakness.

Lena was.

But paradoxically, Lena was also her greatest strength.

Just by existing and gravitating towards her, Lena could give Kara more strength than the brightest of sun.

That explained why Kara had felt so weak this year, even though she had tried her best not to show it.

Even though she had done her best to be the hero everyone expected her to be, no matter how heavy was the weight resting on her shoulders.

A weight that seemed far less suffocating ever since she knew that Lena was back on her team.

Afraid of losing Lena again and longing to be around her for as long as she could, Kara swallowed thickly when her tears threatened to spill out. She looked down at her hand holding Lena's and entwined slowly their fingers.

"You all right?" She heard Lena ask in a concerned tone.

She looked up at her best friend. No matter what happened between them. No matter how painful had been the suffering of this last year, Lena was still her best friend. Even though Kara wished that Lena could be more than that.

She smiled at Lena. "Yeah." She breathed out. "I was just wondering if... if you were free to hang out tonight, with me. We could have a movie night, like we used to."

 _Like we used to,_ Lena smiled through glistening eyes as she heard those words that made her feel that they were going to be okay even though things could never be the same. But the renewed hope swirling in her heart made her think that perhaps things could get even better, now that they weren't any secrets between them.

Well, except for the very non-platonic feelings she had for her best friend, and Lena wasn't even sure she would ever feel brave enough to express those feelings.

 _Perhaps one day,_ she silently told herself and chose to focus on the friendship Kara gifted her with.

"I'd love that." Lena squeezed softly Kara's hand.

Kara gave Lena her brightest smile.

With their hands not parting and a smile on their faces, Kara and Lena made their way out of Lena's lab.

* * *

They stepped inside Kara's loft.

Feeling far more at ease than the last time she had crossed the threshold, Lena glanced around her and took in the feeling of safety this place had always given her ever since she had become friend with Kara.

The same feeling of safety Kara always gave her and that she allowed herself to feel again now that there weren't anger and pain plaguing her heart anymore, not towards Kara at least.

"Thanks," Lena said when Kara rid her of her coat.

"Do you want something to drink? I can make us a cup of tea."

Lena smiled and nodded her head up and down.

"Sit down." Kara said, not with the reserved guarded tone she had used the last time Lena was standing on the very same spot. But with a tone that made Lena feel that Kara was happy of her presence here, which finished lightening her heart as the familiar warmth that Kara provoked within her began to make her feel that she was slowly coming back home.

She sat down on the couch, on the side she was always sitting on every time she was here. She looked at Kara using her super-speed as she was making two cups of tea. She barely got the time to blink twice that Kara was already standing in front of her with two cups of tea in her hands.

With a warm smile, Kara handed one of the cups to Lena.

"Thanks," Lena said, feeling herself fall even more in love with the woman who made her feel stuff she had never felt before from the first moment they met.

Kara's smile widened as she sat down beside Lena. She pushed her glasses up her nose and took a cushion between her hands. She pressed it against her chest, which made Lena understand that even though Kara was smiling and acting as if everything was fine between them since she had accepted her apology, Kara wasn't as serene as she appeared.

Lena nibbled at her lips. She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that she was responsible for the pain Kara may feel. She knew she was responsible for the hurt she had inflicted on Kara. It had been her intention after all. To hurt like she had been hurt. But if she was honest with herself, she had never thought that Kara could have been truly hurt. Because from the moment she had found out that her best friend had been lying to her for years, Lena had started thinking that Kara didn't care about her at all. She probably would spend a long time feeling guilty for how wrong she had been this year.

"I'm sorry, Kara. I am so, so sorry." She felt the need to say.

"Lena," a small sigh escaped Kara's lips.

"I know that I could never make up for what I did to you, but I..." Her voice got caught in her throat. She swallowed thickly and exhaled. "But I truly am sorry for the way I hurt you. I would like to say that it wasn't my intention, but at the moment it was. Right now, I would give anything to go back in the past and do things right."

"What would you do if you could go back in the past?"

"I would come at you as soon as Lex told me you were Supergirl. You were right that day, in the fortress of solitude. That's what I should've done. But I was too hurt and too angry to even want to hear you explain yourself. I let these feelings set a rage within me. And this rage spread like a wildfire I couldn't stop. I wish I could change that but I can't." She swallowed thickly and fought back the tears that wanted to make their way out.

"Changing the past doesn't mean making the future better." Kara said in a tone that made Lena think that there was something hidden behind this statement.

She slightly furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"That can be hard to believe, but a couple of months ago, I got offered the chance to go back in the past and set things right between us. And I did try to make things right. I went back in the past multiple times to tell you I was Supergirl before Lex did."

Surprise crossed Lena's features as she learned this information that she would never have suspected. "What happened? I assume it didn't turn out as you wanted if we're still in that time."

"That's an understatement." Kara sighed. "Every time something terrible happened. Like I mean, one of us always ended up dead. I finally stopped trying after I got stuck in one of those alternate realities."

"What happened in this one?"

Kara shifted uncomfortably on her spot. "That doesn't matter."

"I'd like to know."

Kara let out a small sigh. "In this reality you and I were never friends. Not because I didn't want to be your friend but because after seeing all this horrific scenarios I started thinking that perhaps you would be better off without me. So no matter how much the idea of living in a world in which you never would have been in my life hurt me, I chose to do what I thought was right for you."

"Being without you in my life could never be right for me." Lena said, feeling her heart ache when she thought about a life without Kara, when she remembered the year they had spent apart. "What happened to us in this one?"

Kara looked down and pressed the cushion against her chest again.

"Kara," Lena said softly.

Kara cleared her throat. "I didn't save you the day Lex tried to kill you when you first moved to National City. Your mother turned you into Metallo and you took over the city with Reign and Brainy."

"What happened to you?"

"I, um, I came at you, I wanted to bring you back into the light but then you... you killed me with kryptonite, well, you started killing me. I managed to escape when..." She stopped when she saw the horrified and pained expression on Lena's face. She shifted closer to Lena and put a hand on her forearm. "Lena, it's all right, that wasn't really you. It wasn't real."

"It could have been real." Lena squeezed her eyes shut for one second and rubbed her forehead. She let out a shaky sigh. "Attacking you with kryptonite in the fortress of solitude is the thing I regret the most. I also can't stop thinking about what could've happened if I hadn't been able to disarm the cannons loaded with kryptonite."

"Wait," Kara frowned. "You didn't purposely attack me that day?"

"No, but that doesn't change what could've happened if I hadn't..." She trailed off and sighed.

"I'm all right." Kara said and rubbed softly Lena's forearm.

"How can you forgive me for that?" Lena asked with a brow furrowed in confusion as she tried not to think too much about how good that felt to have Kara touching her.

"Because when I think about it, I realize that we both screwed up just as much. And I... I need to forgive you if I want to move on from the pain I felt this year." Kara said, looking deeply at Lena. "I missed you so much, Lena. And to be honest, not having you in my life and thinking that you hated me actually hurt me more than you did. I know that if I push away, I'm gonna be hurt again and you would be hurt too. And I think that we have both suffered enough to last a lifetime, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Lena nodded.

Gently, Kara slid her hand into Lena's. "I forgive you, Lena. Now you gotta forgive yourself, all right?"

"All right." Lena smiled and gave Kara's hand a soft squeeze.

"I'm sorry for calling you a villain." Kara said.

"I deserved it."

"I don't agree with that. You made bad decisions, I won't deny this fact, but you... I mean, I never should have used this word. I know your worst fear is to turn out like the rest of your family. I should've thought about this and I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"I've been hurt when you told me you would treat me like any other villains, but... I don't need apology to forgive you for that, so it's all right."

They silently gazed at each other for long seconds as their hands were still joined in a tender embrace.

"Does that mean we're still best friends?" Lena felt the need to ask.

Kara smiled. "If you want us to be."

"I want that," Lena said as she tried not to think about how much she wanted to be more than best friends.

"That's probably gonna take some time to completely heal from what happened but I know that we can do it. Together." Kara gazed deeply at Lena.

Lena felt awestruck at the way Kara was looking at her, it made her feel how much she meant to Kara.

"I can't believe I've ever thought I didn't matter to you." she said quietly, more for herself than for Kara.

"What?" Kara slightly furrowed her brow.

"When I found out you were Supergirl. I thought that you hid the truth from me because you didn't trust me and because I didn't matter to you."

"Get that out of your mind ASAP, please, because you are one of the persons I love the most and I trust you with my life. No matter what happened this year, these facts haven't changed." Kara rubbed the back of Lena's hand with her thumb as she spoke.

This time Lena couldn't hold back the tears that were making their way into her eyes. She exhaled shakily as the tears began to slowly roll down her cheeks. "I'm so, so, so sorry, Kara."

Kara shifted closer to her best friend and looked deeply at her. "Please, Lena, stop. We both made mistakes. It's okay to talk about the past, so that we try to understand each other better and heal from the hurt we've been through. But I really do think that we need to stop apologizing for what we did. I know how much you're sorry and you know how much I'm sorry. Now we can focus on rebuilding our friendship and making it even stronger than it used to be."

"Okay," Lena breathed out. She gave Kara a tearful smile before quickly wiping her cheeks with the back of her hands.

"Come here," Kara said softly as she gently put an arm around her best friend.

New tears spilled out of Lena's eyes while Kara wrapped her in an embrace she had missed more than any words could express it. But this time, it wasn't tears of heartache that were making their way out. It was tears that expressed how relieved she was for finding her way back to Kara's arms. She held tight onto her best friend and leaned into the love and support she was being given without wondering if she deserved it. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to forget about everything else and focus solely on the warmth she felt through this embrace.

"We're gonna be all right, Lena. I promise." Kara said quietly as she rubbed slow circles over Lena's back. She closed her eyes and felt even deeper the love she had for her best friend as she nuzzled slightly her hair and smelled her probably very expensive perfume. She exhaled when she felt her best friend tighten her embrace around her. After so much time without hugging Lena, Kara felt that she was finally on her way to feel truly at home on Earth.

Although having everyone that truly mattered to her knowing her for who she really was comforted her, Kara felt a slight pain in her heart as she began fearing how much her friendship with Lena could be different from the one they had these past years. Her fear of changing the way Lena could treat her had been one of reasons Kara had held back telling her the truth for so long. That was something she had never talked to with anyone. But now that they were having a heart-to-heart, Kara felt ready to open up to her best friend like she had been wanting to do it for years.

She withdrew from the embrace as slowly as she could. "I need to tell you something, Lena." She took a deep calming breath. "It wasn't only to protect you that I didn't tell you I was Supergirl. Actually, it was mainly to protect myself. Because I was afraid that things would change between us once you would know that I'm Supergirl. I didn't want you to treat me differently."

"Why would I have treated you differently?"

"It's hard to explain, but... the thing is," Kara exhaled. "When I've arrived on Earth, I was trying so hard to fit in. I felt so alone. I couldn't use my powers and that was sometimes suffocating. Then, I've become Supergirl and for the first time since I was on Earth, I felt free. But then, as the time passed, I started to feel the heavy weight of what it means to be Supergirl pressing hard on my shoulders. I feel responsible for everything that goes wrong in this city. Because I am the one with super-powers, so that means I have to be the one who saves the situation all the time. I have to defeat every villain that decides to wreck-havoc on the city. I have to take care of everyone and protect everyone from harm. Not to mention that the people I love the most always find themselves in dangerous situations. I have to make sure nothing happens to my family. You are part of my family, Lena, in case you're still doubting it."

Lena smiled at Kara's declaration but she could feel that her best friend wasn't done opening up, so she stayed silent and slid a hand into Kara's.

Kara exhaled and entwined her fingers with Lena's. "What I'm trying to say is that most of the time I focus so much on being Supergirl that I often forget how to be Kara. That I don't even know how to be Kara sometimes. But when I'm with you... I mean, when I was with you when you didn't know I was Supergirl, it felt different. I don't know how to explain it, but it's like... every time I was spending time with you, you were bringing me back to myself without knowing it. You made me feel that being Kara was as important as being Supergirl. You made me feel that Kara was even better than Supergirl. You are the reason I haven't lost a huge part of myself. Do you remember when you bought CatCo?"

Lena nodded her head up and down.

Kara smiled slightly. "At that moment, I was so done with being Kara, I thought all that mattered was being Supergirl, I even quit my dream job to make sure nothing got in the way of what I considered to be the only important thing in my life. But once again, you brought me back to myself. You saved me without realizing it. I'm not sure everything I said makes any sense, but I didn't tell you I was Supergirl mainly because I didn't want to lose that. Because I was afraid of losing myself and because I wanted you to keep seeing Kara without thinking about Supergirl."

Kara wiped with her sleeves the tears that she hadn't even realized had fallen until she felt a taste of salt in her mouth. She sniffled and exhaled.

Lena softly took both of Kara's hands in hers and gazed deeply at her. "I understand what you mean. I can't understand what you feel but I know what you mean. I promise you that nothing has to change between us. I will always be there to remind you that being Kara is important. But more than that, I want to help you reconcile these two parts of yourself. Kara Danvers and Kara Zor-El are both wonderful parts of yourself and I know you can't be openly both of them with most people. But you are safe to be completely yourself with me. You don't have to choose between being Kara or Supergirl. You are both. And that's what makes you the most incredible person I have ever met."

Kara gave Lena a tearful smile that expressed how much she was happy and relieved to hear these words.

"I even promise you that I'm gonna try not to put myself in danger. Not too much at least." Lena said.

Kara let out a soft laugh. "I appreciate that. Thank you."

Lena smiled and slid up a hand to Kara's cheek. "You always take care of everyone, Kara. Let me take care of you, please."

Kara let out a hearty chuckle. "How about we take care of each other?"

Lena smiled brightly, showing off cute dimples that Kara wanted to kiss softly. "I can work with that."

Kara smiled as she took her glasses off and put them on the coffee table.

"Thank you, Lena." Kara squeezed gently Lena's hand.

Lena smiled at her best friend and snaked an arm around her before pulling her closer.

Kara exhaled as she allowed herself to fall into Lena's arms.

Lena closed her eyes and tightened her embrace around her best friend as she rubbed softly her back. She kissed Kara's temple when they withdrew slowly.

Kara leaned in and rested her forehead with Lena's. "Thank you for coming back to me." she said almost in a whisper.

Lena brought her hands to Kara's cheeks. "Thank you for letting me do it."

Kara slightly pulled away and smiled at her best friend.

Lena smiled back until she spun her head to the coffee table and saw the still full cups of tea set on it. "I think the tea must be cold by now."

"I can fix that." Kara grinned and took the two cups in her hands before using her heat-vision to warm up the liquid inside of them. She handed one to Lena.

Lena smiled as she brought the cup to her lips and took her first sip.

"How is that?" Kara asked.

"Good," Lena said with a smile. "Are you using your heat-vision every time you need to heat something?"

"I don't use it every time, but honestly, that's the only way I don't burn what I'm trying to make. I swear every time I try to use the oven, something goes wrong."

Lena laughed at this and sweet flutters took over Kara's chest at hearing this sound that she had missed so much.

Lighter conversations happened for about one hour as they reconnected with each other until they decided to watch a movie.

Kara exhaled once again when she told Lena why _The Wizard Of Oz_ was her favorite movie. After years of hiding part of herself with one of the persons she loved the most in the world, she realized now, how good and freeing that felt not to have to be careful about everything she said or did. Lena had been right earlier, she didn't always have to choose between being Kara or Supergirl. She was both. And with those who knew who she really was, she could openly be herself without fear. She was free to simply be Kara.

Lena smiled as she took Kara's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze and said to Kara that she would love to watch this movie with her.

Kara beamed and used her super-speed to go search a soft blanket for them to settled under.

Without even realizing it, they quickly found themselves being huddled up together on the couch.

Kara laid her head on Lena's shoulder and put her arms around her as she snuggled deeper against her body. She felt safer than she had ever been and wondered how she had been able to spent so much time away from Lena's warmth. She exhaled and wished with all her might that she never had to go through a life without Lena Luthor by her side.

Lena smiled and wrapped her arms around Kara. Feeling her heart flutter in the best of way, she held on tight to her best friend and kissed the top of her head. She had no idea if her non-platonic feelings were returned and she didn't want to hope too much. But she couldn't ignore the feelings that swirled within her and made her feel that she and Kara were meant to be together. She chose not to act of that right now though. She had barely gotten Kara back in her life and she didn't want to do or say something that could cause them to drift away from each other again.

At the end of the movie, Kara gathered enough courage to pull away from Lena's warm embrace. She turned off the TV when Lena rose from the couch.

"I should go." Lena said even though she didn't want to go.

Kara felt her heart twinge in disappointment. She chewed on her lips for a brief second and cleared her throat. "You could stay. If you want."

"I, um... I wouldn't want to intrude. I mean, it's late and... you probably need some rest after the long day we had."

"Yeah, I need some rest, but I'm... I don't think I could rest without you by my side." Kara felt a slight blush warm her cheeks as she told that. "You don't have to stay if you need to be alone. I understand. But if you want..." She trailed off.

"I don't want to be alone actually." Lena exhaled.

Kara's face lit up with a thousand-watt smile. "So you're staying?"

"I'm staying." Lena nodded with a fond smile.

"Let me find you a pajama." Kara said as she walked to the bedroom. She used her super-speed to scroll through her drawers and pulled a pair of comfy pants and a loose top out of one of them. "This should fit." She told when she returned to stand in front of her best friend.

"Thanks," Lena smiled before heading to the bathroom to get changed.

When she returned from the bathroom, Lena found Kara lying on the couch under a soft blanket.

Kara slightly straightened her stance and smiled at her best friend.

Lena quirked an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

Kara sat up and the blanket slipped down to the floor. "I, um... I wasn't sure if you were okay with us sharing the same bed, so I..." She trailed off.

"I am more than okay with us sharing the same bed, Kara." Lena smiled. "If you're comfortable with that, of course."

Kara smiled and got up. She picked up the blanket and put it on the couch before heading to her bedroom.

Feeling her heart flutter strongly at the thought that she was going to spend the night close to Kara, a smile swept over Lena's face as she followed her best friend.

They both slithered under the sheets at the same time.

Although Lena was used to sleep in a bigger bed, she couldn't think of a bed in which she had felt as safe and warm as right now. While Kara realized how much her bed was much more comfortable with Lena lying beside her.

Their bodies were so close that they could feel each other's warmth spread through them.

Oblivious to each other's feelings, Kara and Lena both secretly wished to spend every night together.

In the dim light of her bedroom, Kara looked at Lena who had fallen fast asleep. She smiled and leaned closer to her best friend. She kissed softly Lena's cheek and switched her position to lay on her back. She closed her eyes and focused on the sound of Lena's breathing and heartbeat.

Kara's eyes fluttered open when she felt Lena getting closer to her and her heart skipped a couple of beats when Lena laid her head on her chest as she draped an arm around her. She smiled at how good and normal it felt to be like this. Almost as if it was a routine they did every night. She kissed the top of Lena's head and nuzzled her hair until she fell into the most peaceful slumber she ever had.


	2. New Beginning

Feeling herself tangled in a warm embrace with the person she loved the most in the world, Lena's eyes fluttered open. A smile swept on her face when she saw Kara's arms wrapped tight around her, almost as if she were afraid that Lena would disappear if she were to loosen her grip that despite its tightness felt softer than anything Lena had ever experienced. She hadn't awoken with someone else in a very long time but she could feel that being here, wrapped in Kara's arms was more meaningful that any relationships she ever had. It was the kind of feeling that she had wanted and tried to get every time she dated someone, but until then, she had never felt it. She held back a sigh when she realized that she wasn't dating Kara and that it probably would never happen. She closed her eyes again and tried not to move as she wanted to savor this moment for as long as she could.

As she was about to drift off again, Lena felt soft fingers trailing leisurely through her hair. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Kara who was looking down at her with a tender smile.

"Hi," her fingers still running through Lena's hair, Kara's smile widened.

"Hi," feeling a slight blush color her cheeks, Lena smiled back and was grateful that Kara didn't ask her how they had gotten in this position last night. She wasn't sure either how did that happen, but she had a feeling that her subconscious that never let her forget that she was in love with her best friend had something to do with that. She assumed that she had probably shifted closer to Kara while she was asleep and decided to lay her head on her best friend's chest. But that didn't explain why Kara had been holding onto her so tightly and softly at the same time when she woke up. That didn't explain why she felt as though Kara loved her just as much every time she touched her.

Was there a slight chance that Kara felt the same way about her? Lena felt her heart beat out of her chest for one second when she began wondering if her feelings were truly one-sided as she had always thought they were. Her heart quickened at the possibility that Kara could be in love with her and she hoped with all her might that her Kryptonian best friend with super-hearing wasn't listening to it at this very moment.

Kara gazed awestruck at her best friend who looked speechless at her. She picked up the sound of Lena's heart quickening and wondered what had caused it. She hoped that she hadn't done anything to make her best friend uncomfortable. Perhaps she shouldn't have held her so tight. But to be fair, Lena had been the one to initiate their close proximity last night and when Kara had wrapped her arms around her best friend, she hadn't thought that they would stay in this position for the entire night. She wondered how that was even possible that she had slept through the night without being awoken by every sound her super-hearing was able to pick up. Kara was on Earth since over fifteen years, but that was the first time that she had been able to sleep more than two hours in a row. She also couldn't stop thinking about how much Lena felt so soft between her arms and Kara knew that she could spend every night like this without ever getting tired of it.

Lena straightened her stance to be face-to-face with Kara.

Without any words being spoken, their gazes locked together for long minutes.

Until the sound of a phone ringing snapped them back to reality.

It took a moment for Kara to register that it was her phone ringing.

Lena slid off her best friend and sat up beside her with a smile.

Kara smiled at her best friend before using her super-speed to grab her phone that had been left on the coffee table the previous night. She went to return to sit beside her best friend before Lena even got the time to realize what was happening.

"It's Nia," Kara said and picked up the phone. "Hi, Nia, wha.." Her next words got lost when she heard Nia's frantic tone over the phone. "Is he okay?" Panic rose within her as she processed her friend's words. She tightened her grip on her phone and tried her hardest not to smash it in pieces. "We're coming." She hung up.

"What happens?" Lena touched Kara's arm and held on to her.

Kara spun her head to her best friend. "Something happened to Brainy." she said and from her devastated tone, Lena could easily guess how serious it was. "We gotta go."

* * *

At the Tower, Kara, Lena and all the superfriends were in the medical bay that had been set a couple of days ago. Alex had been the one to suggest it and thanks to her super-speed, Kara had helped her to get everything ready in no time.

Brainy was lying on a bed, his eyes were closed and he was hooked to a heart monitor and other machines that were helping him to recover from what he had been through. Nia was beside him and held tight onto his hand while her gaze didn't leave the man she loved.

Lena was on the other side of the bed, checking his vitals and making sure he wouldn't suffer from ill effects while she proceeded to a series of test. She had been the one to know what to do when Nia brought him back from Leviathan ship and managed to save his life with Kara's and Alex's help.

Lena turned her gaze off the laptop screen she had been staring at for a while. She looked down at Brainy. "He's gonna be okay." she said, looking up at the others.

"Thank you," Nia said, looking briefly at Lena before turning her attention on Brainy again.

Lena smiled slightly and nodded her head. "You're the one who saved him."

Kara put a hand to Nia's shoulder. "You should get some rest."

"I wanna be here when he wakes up." She shook slightly her head, her gaze still not leaving Brainy.

"You've been through a lot. Let Alex make sure you're okay, at least." Kara said.

"I'm okay. Brainy is the one who was willing to sacrifice himself to save all of us. He's the one who almost die." Nia blinked a few times to chase away the tears that had made their way into her eyes.

"But he's okay because of you." Kara said. "Now you gotta take care of yourself."

"I'm okay." Nia repeated.

"That can't hurt to make sure of that." Alex stepped closer to them.

"Fine," Nia conceded, slowly turning her gaze away from Brainy and letting go of his hand. She sighed and let Alex guiding her to another bed.

Lena looked down at Brainy again and stared at something on the laptop screen. She was so focused on what she was doing that she didn't hear Kara coming behind her.

"You all right?" Kara asked.

Lena slightly jumped in surprise and briefly glanced at her best friend. "Yeah. I just want to make sure again that he's gonna make a full recovery."

"Since when have you ever been wrong?" Kara let out a quick chuckle.

Lena stopped in her track when all the times she had been wrong came into her mind. "A lot." She let out a loud sigh while still staring at the screen in front of her.

"Lena," Kara started until J'onn and M'gann got closer to them.

"It's nice to have you back, Lena." J'onn said.

Lena turned her attention off the laptop and looked at J'onn. She gave him a smile.

J'onn smiled back at her before making his way out of the room.

"Don't beat yourself up." M'gann said quietly before following J'onn out of the room.

Lena slightly furrowed her brow. "I'm not sure I truly am comfortable with having two mind-readers around me."

"Why? Do you have something to hide?" Kara's voice didn't sound accusatory, but playful.

Lena felt a blush creep up. _Except for that fact that I'm in love with you since the first time you walked into my office, no._ "I,um... I..." She cleared her throat.

"I was kidding, Lena." Kara smiled.

"Of course," Lena swallowed thickly, finding difficult to hide her true feelings now that Kara was back in her life. That made her wonder how did she do it before.

"Nia," came Brainy's hoarse voice.

Jumping from the bed she was sitting on, Nia rushed to Brainy's side and took his hand in hers. "I'm here."

"How are you feeling?" Lena asked Brainy.

"Like I have come back from the dead."

"You almost did." Nia grasped tight onto his hand.

"You saved me?" he squeezed Nia's hand with the little strength he could muster.

Nia nodded and looked at the other women in the room. "I got help for that."

Brainy slowly turned his head to Lena, Kara and Alex. "Thank you."

"You're gonna be all right." Lena said. "But you need to take it easy and get a lot of rest."

"I'll take care of him." Nia said before looking down at Brainy.

Brainy turned his head to Nia and looked at her as if she was the only person he could see in the room right now.

Nia smiled at him and caressed his cheek.

"We should leave you two alone." Alex said on her way to the door. "Call us if you need anything."

Nia spun briefly her head to Alex and nodded before turning her attention to Brainy and smiling at him.

Lena stared at them, Brainy was going to be all right, but for now, he was still weak and it would probably take him some time to fully recover. Tears welled into her eyes. She couldn't stop that feeling of remorse that washed over her and made her feel that she was responsible for what happened to him. She let out a sigh and quickly stomped out of the room.

She put a hand to her mouth and stifled the sobs that she couldn't hold back. Flashback of what happened this year submerged her and she could feel the weight of her mistakes pressing heavily on her shoulders with a strength that made her struggle to stay upright. Breathing became difficult. Her heart raced and an headache was coming at her and started to make her feel as though everything was spinning around her.

"Lena?" Kara's soft and concerned voice brought her back. Her sobs stopped. Breathing became easier. Her heart slowly calmed down. The room stopped spinning around her and the headache disappeared as quickly as it appeared. She inhaled and exhaled before turning around to face her best friend who was standing closer than she had thought.

"What happens?" Kara asked and Lena was grateful that she hadn't asked _Are you all right?_ because she could feel that she didn't have the strength to lie about what she felt. Especially not to Kara.

Looking Kara's blue eyes that were filled with concern and another emotion that she couldn't quite pinpoint, Lena swallowed thickly. "That's my fault." She breathed out.

Kara frowned. "What's your fault?"

"What happened to Brainy. I am responsible for this. I am responsible for everyone that's gonna be hurt because of Lex."

"You're not responsible for what Lex is doing."

Lena scoffed. "Maybe not. But I'm responsible for what I did. If I hadn't chosen to work with him. If I had teamed up with you when you came at me after the Crisis. If I hadn't let my mother manipulate me into choosing Lex's side and not yours. If I had allowed myself to forgive you when I wanted to instead of staying stuck with my anger and resentment towards you, we could've had..." She trailed off and sniffled before wiping quickly her cheeks.

"What Lillian has to do with that?"

"I went to see her. I wanted to have her advice, which I realize now is probably one of the stupidest things I've done this year. I told her I wanted to accept your offer and team up with you. But she used my weakness against me. She told me that you would hurt me at the second I would let my guard down. And getting hurt again was the thing I was the most afraid of, especially by you. But now that I realized and accepted that getting hurt is part of being alive, I don't want to let my fear of getting hurt making me drift away from the ones I wanna be close to. But that doesn't change what I did." Lena shook slightly her head and exhaled shakily. "If I had chosen your side when I wanted to, we already would have caught Lex and he wouldn't have the mean to hurt anyone anymore."

Kara stepped closer to her best friend and put a hand to her shoulder. "Lena, when I told you last night that I didn't want us to keep apologizing for our mistakes, I also meant that we need to stop feeling guilty for them."

Her eyes glistening, Lena looked deeply at Kara. "I don't know how to stop feeling guilty about how I so poorly reacted to finding out that you were Supergirl."

"Well, no matter how much I've been hurt, when I think about it, I understand why you reacted the way you did. You found out the truth in the worst possible way imaginable. But no matter what happened, you are not responsible for what is happening right now. Not more that I am."

"What do you mean?"

"If I had told you the truth sooner. If I had told you that I was Supergirl from the moment we became close, we wouldn't be here right now. Doesn't mean things would be better though." Kara slid down her hand into Lena's. "We can't change the past. We can't erase our mistakes but we can do our best to make up for them and get over them. That's what we're doing right now. Give yourself a more than well-deserved break, Lena. Stop torturing yourself by wondering what could've happened if you had done this or that. I really do believe that everything happens for a reason, which means that things were meant to enfold this way. Besides, we are working together now, so I think Lex better enjoy his freedom while it lasts because with the both of us and the rest of our friends against him, that's not going to last for long."

"You're right." Lena smiled slightly when Kara's words made their way into her mind and her heart. "I will do my best to stop guilt-tripping myself for what I could've done better."

"Good," Kara gave Lena one of her thousand-watt smiles and squeezed gently her hand. "Come here," she said as she put an arm around her best friend.

Lena exhaled and put her arm around Kara as she melted into the embrace. A smile swept on her face when she felt Kara rubbing slowly her back, silently telling her that everything was going to be okay and making her believe that it was the truth. She knew that with Kara in her life supporting her like she did for years, everything would always be more than okay.

* * *

In the evening, Lena was at her penthouse, trying not to get startled every time she heard a noise. She had made sure Lex couldn't get inside, but that was Lex, and Lena knew her brother enough to know that he always found a way. She hadn't seen him ever since she realized the truth about her brother and came back to Kara. Not seeing him was a relief but not knowing what he was up to was the source of her anxiety at this very moment. She was certain that his main goal was as it had always been, to rid the planet of Kryptonians and other aliens while being convinced that he was the hero the world needed, and that fact caused anger to boil within her while she began thinking of all the ways she could thwart each one of the plans he could come up with.

At least, Lena felt the weight she had put on her shoulders lighten when she thought about the fact that she wasn't alone in this battle. Kara would be by her side every step of the way. And she also knew she could count on the entire team to have her back.

A smile swept on her face when she realized that she wasn't alone anymore and she was grateful that her path had crossed with people that forgave more easily than she did.

Although Lena hadn't wanted to admit it for months, she had missed her friends more than she could ever find words to express it. And she could feel in her heart how much they all mattered to her as she was putting the photo frames that she had taken off in anger back in their rightful places. Which made her grateful that she hadn't thrown them away. No matter how hurt and angry she had been, it was as if her heart had known from the start that she would find her way to those who mattered the most to her.

After months of feeling the heaviest of pain squeeze her heart and tighten her chest, Lena could finally breathe properly.

After months of feeling homesick, Lena felt that she had finally come home.

Her phone chimed on the coffee table and her heart fluttered as she read the message Kara sent her.

_Goodnight, Lena. :)_

It was a simple text, but having someone who cared enough about her to wish her a good night meant more to her than she could express it.

She smiled and texted back.

_Goodnight, Kara. :)_

She put her phone down of the coffee table when her attention got caught by the photo frame set nearby. It was a picture of she and Kara that had been taken a couple of days before Lena found out that Kara was Supergirl. She took it in her hands and sat down on the couch as she looked down at the picture that made her heart flutter with all the love swirling within her.

* * *

At the Tower, Lena was doing one last check up on Brainy to make sure he was okay before allowing him to get out of the med bay. Kara was a little further away from them and talked quietly with Nia. She saw her friends looking at them and smiling, which made her wish she had super-hearing to hear what they were talking about. She noticed Brainy fidgeting on the bed he was sitting on and guessed easily that he was eager to get out of here. She spun her attention back to what she was doing and checked one last thing on the screen.

"All clear," she told him.

"Eureka!" He jumped off the bed. Nia chuckled and stepped closer to him. Brainy took Nia's hand in his and smiled at her before looking at Lena. "Can we go now?"

"Yes. But take it easy. I mean, try not to get into life or death situations. That's worth for the both of you." Lena said.

Nia smiled. "We'll do our best. Thanks, Lena. For everything."

Lena smiled as she watched them making their way out of the room with their hands joined.

"Has someone ever told you that you would make a great doctor?" Kara asked as she stepped closer to her best friend.

Lena let out a chuckle. "Until you, no. But actually, that's something I considered doing at some point."

"Why didn't you do it?" Kara asked as they both made their way out of the med bay.

Lena shrugged slightly. "I wanted to do something that makes my two passions merge together. Science and technology." She paused and smiled at her best friend. "I'll be happy to play doctor with you though."

Kara's eyes slightly widened as a blush began dancing on her rosy cheeks.

Realizing how the words she said could be interpreted, Lena felt her face flush. "I... um..." She cleared her throat. "I mean, for you and for everyone working here. You could all use someone to patch you up with the mess you're good at getting yourselves into."

"Of course," Kara nodded with a blush still coloring her cheeks.

Lena stared at her best friend for a while. Kara was dressed with a tight blue dress that clutched perfectly to her body. Her hair was up in a bun. Her useless glasses were there and Lena suddenly didn't remember how she was supposed to breathe while looking at the most beautiful person she had ever laid her eyes upon. She glanced from Kara's blue eyes to her lips that looked so soft. And she knew as a matter of fact from the cheek and forehead kisses they had already shared through the years that Kara's lips were as soft as they looked, and at this very moment, Lena struggled not to lean forward and discover how they tasted like. She cleared her throat and looked away from her best friend.

Kara put a hand to Lena's shoulder. "You all right?"

Trying not to focus on the heat coursing through her at the contact of Kara's hand on her shoulder, Lena looked up at her best friend and smiled. "Yeah. I just... I gotta go."

"Where are you going?" Kara withdrew her hand from Lena's shoulder and softly slid their hands together instead.

"To L-Corp." she said quietly. "Well, it's Luthor Corp now." She let out a scoff and rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry you had to lose your company because of what happened." Kara rubbed softly Lena's hand with her thumb.

"It's all right." She smiled slightly. Everything was definitely more than all right if Kara kept touching her like this. Except for the fact that having Kara touching her like this made her struggle even more to fight her desire and not put her lips on Kara's. She swallowed thickly and cleared her throat as she gently withdrew her hand from Kara's soft grip. She stepped away from her best friend. "But I can't really count on Lex to run this company properly although it's his now. Actually, I have to do even more work than when it was L-Corp."

The two best friends locked their gazes together as they shared a smile.

The sound of someone landing onto the balcony interrupted their intense eye-contact as they turned their heads at the same time.

Alex appeared with J'onn. Her shoulder was bloody, but otherwise she seemed fine.

Kara stepped closer to them. "What happened?"

"We were investigating the missing case of two aliens, which leads us to a renegade alien and he kind of kicked my ass. Or my shoulder in that case." Alex said. "But I'm okay. I just need some stitches."

Lena spun her head to her best friend and quirked an eyebrow. "See what I said earlier?"

Kara let out a chuckle. "Let Lena patch you up while I help J'onn finding the missing aliens."

"Come with me," Lena said as she waved at Alex to follow her.

Kara smiled as she watched the two persons she loved the most walking side by side. Her love for Lena kept getting stronger the more they were reconnecting and Kara feared that she might not be able to keep these feelings secret for very long. Until she remembered that a mind-reader was standing beside her. A blush crept up her cheeks as she became self-conscious about her own thoughts and tried to silence them for a bit.

Hoping it would hide the blush, Kara put a smile on her face and spun to J'onn. "You ready?"

"I was waiting for you," he said and she was grateful that he didn't mention what he might have found out about her feelings for Lena.

Kara pulled her glasses off and her tight blue dress changed into her super-suit. She smiled and took off in the sky with J'onn beside her.

* * *

Kara was lying in her bed, tossing and turning as she tried to fall asleep without success at all. She had spent the day searching for the missing aliens and found them late in the evening. But no matter how much she was tired, she couldn't let herself drift off to sleep. Her mind couldn't stop wandering to Lena. Worries about her best friend couldn't stop spreading through her. Especially when she remembered that she had forgotten to give Lena the signal watch, which meant that Lena wouldn't be able to contact her if she was to find herself in danger.

Willing not to fall asleep tonight, Kara closed her eyes nonetheless, not to get some rest, but to pick up the sound of Lena's heart more easily, which would alert her if something happened to her best friend.

She smiled when the familiar beats made their way into her ears and was more than willing to spend the entire night listening to Lena's heart if that meant making sure her best friend was safe.

* * *

Lena was at Luthor Corp. It was late in the night. She knew that Kara would disapprove her still being at work at this hour. But she couldn't help herself. No matter how many things had changed this year, there was something that hadn't changed, Lena was still a workaholic and probably nothing would ever change that.

The doors of her balcony were open and the breeze of the night poured slightly into the room.

In the dim light of her office, she stared at her laptop screen as she worked on a new project that she hoped would help catch Lex.

Suddenly, the doors of her office busted open and thudding footsteps followed through.

Her heart skipping a beat, Lena jumped in surprise and hopped off her seat. She stepped back. Although her office was dark, she could easily make out the three figures standing in front of her. All aiming a gun at her. Her heart quickened. She knew there was no way out. Her first thought was for Kara and the regret she had for not telling her what she truly felt. For not telling her how deeply in love she was with her from the first moment she had stepped inside her office with her disarming smile that had chipped away at Lena's armor bit by bit until she completely let her guard down.

"Your brother sends his regard," one of the men said before the three guns cocked at the same time.

Barely two seconds later, multiple bullets were being thrown at her.

To her surprise, she didn't see her entire life flashing in front of her eyes. She didn't feel that she was about to die.

In happened in the blink of an eye, the flourish of a red cape enfolded in front of her before she found herself being wrapped in the soft fabric, shielded from the bullets that kept hitting her but couldn't hurt her.

Lex's goons only stopped firing when they ran out of bullets.

While still standing protectively in front of Lena, Kara quickly took care of the goons and knocked them out without a lot of effort despite the rage that fueled her.

"Lex really should hire smarter people." Kara huffed. She furrowed her brow. "Actually, no. Let's hope he keeps hiring dumbass." She spun to her best friend and stepped closer to her. "You all right?"

"Yes. I mean I didn't have an assassination attempt in a while. I should have predicted Lex would break that record." Lena rolled her eyes.

Kara took both of Lena's hands in hers and squeezed them gently.

"Thank you for saving me." Lena smiled slightly and entwined their fingers together.

"I will always save you, Lena." Kara leaned her forehead with Lena's. "I'm always gonna be there for you."

Lena closed her eyes and savored this moment that only served to increase the love she had for her best friend.

One of the men lying on the floor grunted.

Kara pressed a kiss to Lena's forehead and kicked the guy with her boot, knocking him out a second time.

"I'm gonna call Alex. She will take care of the assholes." Kara said.

"Okay," Lena shivered slightly. She wasn't sure if it was from the cool breeze of the night pouring from the balcony or from Kara's presence. She folded her arms over her chest. She hugged herself tight while Kara called Alex and told her about what happened.

"Thanks, Alex." Kara hung up. "She'll be here in a few minutes." she told Lena.

"Okay." Lena breathed out, shivers still coursing through her. She tightened the grip of her folded arms over her chest.

"Come here," Kara opened her arms to her best friend.

Lena smiled and stepped into the embrace as she held onto her best friend with all her might.

Kara wrapped her arms tightly and softly around her best friend. "Come at my place tonight, please." she whispered and rubbed slowly Lena's back.

Lena smiled against Kara's chest. "There's nowhere I rather be." She tightened her embrace around her best friend.

They stayed like this for long minutes.

"Is everything okay?" Alex walked into the office with J'onn.

Lena and Kara slightly pulled back from each other but Kara was still holding protectively onto her best friend.

"Yeah, I'm just..." Lena felt herself shaking slightly.

"A bit shaken?" Kara understood.

Lena nodded.

"Get Lena home, we can take it up from here." J'onn said.

"Thanks," Kara slid her hand into Lena's and led them onto the balcony. "You ready?"

With a smile, Lena nodded and put her arms around Kara's shoulders.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna drop you." Kara safely wrapped her arms around Lena.

"I know. I trust you." Lena smiled.

Kara leaned forward and kissed softly Lena's temple.

Flutters took over Lena's chest and before she even realized what happened, Kara made them lift up and hover in the night sky. She felt her mind being cleared from negative thoughts and responsibilities that she had put upon herself. Her hope and her desire about the future swirled within her and she knew what she had to do to reach her goal.

* * *

After flying through the window and stepping inside the loft, Kara delicately put Lena on the floor.

"I think I liked flying for the first time in my life." Lena smiled.

"I'm glad to hear that." Kara beamed. "Do you wanna get changed?"

Lena nodded with a smile and Kara used her super-speed to search soft comfy clothes to give to her best friend. She went back with the same kind of pajama as last time and Lena's heart fluttered again at the idea of spending another night wrapped in Kara's arms.

"Thanks," she said before heading to the bathroom.

When she returned from the bathroom, Lena found Kara sitting on the couch. She wasn't dressed as Supergirl anymore and looked like the woman Lena had fallen in love with years ago, except for the fact that she wasn't wearing her glasses. Even in pajama, Kara was the most beautiful woman Lena had ever seen and she felt herself fall even more in love. She smiled and went to sit beside Kara.

Kara shifted closer to her best friend. "You all right?"

"You already asked me that earlier." Lena smiled slightly. "But, yes, thanks to you, I'm all right."

"I didn't mean physically. I mean, your brother tried to have you killed."

"That's not the first time it happened. And that certainly won't be the last." Lena sighed. "I'm sorry about that."

Kara furrowed her brow. "What are you sorry for?"

"I promised you that I wouldn't put myself in danger. But with Lex being angry at me, that doesn't help me to keep my promise."

"That's not your fault. It's his."

"I thought he had changed." Lena said.

Kara slightly furrowed her brow at this statement.

"I mean, when I chose to work with him. Although a huge part of why I did that was because I didn't want to allow myself to forgive you, mainly because I was afraid of getting hurt again. There was also this part of me that thought that maybe I could get my brother back. I never thought he was suddenly becoming a good person, but I thought he supported me at least. I thought he cared about me, that he loved me like he used to. I know that I'm the one who took the decision of working with him... But he has been really great at making me believe he was on my side. I've just been naive to believe he could care about someone else, someone other than himself. Even though I never fully trusted him, I hoped we could be close like we used to." She sighed. "I know that was stupid."

"I'm certainly not gonna blame someone for having hope, Lena." Kara said softly.

Lena shook slightly her head. "Anyway. This time I'm done for good with my family. I'm done wanting their love or validation. I'm done trying to make them change. They have chosen their side and the only thing I can do is sticking to the one I chose. We need to find a way to expose Lex and Lillian and make the world see them for who they really are."

"What makes you think Lillian is working with Lex?"

"I can't explain it. I just feel it. Do you trust me?" Lena asked.

"Yes." Kara answered without hesitation. "But I'm still worried for you. I'm afraid of what Lex could do to you. Especially when you're at Luthor Corp late in the night."

"Don't worry about that. I have no intention of staying stuck with this company. I still have to think of a place where I could move my lab though."

"What do you mean?" Kara frowned. "I thought you loved your job."

"I did. I mean, I do. But even if I could run this company again and rebrand it, I would have to completely start over, and when I think about it, I rather start over with something that would be entirely mine."

"You wanna build up your own company," Kara understood.

"Yeah. Is that a crazy idea?"

"No, and if anyone can pull something like this off, it's you." Kara said in her most supportive tone.

Lena smiled. "Thank you."

"When have you started thinking of that?"

"Oh, um, when we were on our way here." Lena said, feeling a slight blush color her cheeks.

"How are you gonna name your company?" Kara asked, trying not to think about how much she longed to hold Lena like this again.

"I have no clues. I mean, I don't even know where I could do that yet." Lena said.

"Well, you could do it at the Tower."

Lena's eyes slightly widened. "Excuse me?"

"You could move your lab there for starters and perhaps if you feel comfortable enough in this place, you could settle your company in there."

"How big is this place really?"

"Bigger than any of us think. J'onn is always showing us new hidden rooms and I'm certain we could do something for you. If you want that, of course, there's no pressure. I can help you find your own place. Or you can do that on your own if you rather like. I mean, um, I'm here for you if you need my help."

Lena smiled and slid her hand with Kara's. "Thank you. I appreciate this."

Kara squeezed softly Lena's hand. "You're welcome. As I told you, I'm always gonna be there for you."

"Which brings me to a question I really need to ask you." Lena said.

"You can ask me anything." Kara smiled.

"How did you know I was in danger tonight?"

Kara felt a blush heating every inch of her skin at the question she had been asked and the answer she was a bit self-conscious to give. "I, um... I heard your heart quicken."

Lena furrowed her brow, obviously confused.

Kara cleared her throat. "I was in my bed, worrying about you, when I remembered that I had forgotten to give you the signal watch. So, I picked up the sound of your heartbeat to make sure you were okay, that's when I heard that something was definitely wrong, so I rushed to Luthor Corp."

"But Luthor Corp is across the city. I know you have super-hearing, Kara. But how have you known how to pick up my heart among everyone in this city?"

Her blush deepening, Kara cleared her throat. "Well, I really do hope that's not gonna sound too invasive, but in the early days of our friendship I kind of studied your heartbeat to make sure I could pick it up no matter where I am. I've never tried to spy on you, I swear. It's just... we became close rather quickly and you got a lot of people attacking you in a short amount of time. So, for your safety and for my peace of mind, I... I needed to find a way to check up on you a couple of times per day."

"Did you keep doing it when I was mad you?"

"Of course. I've never stopped caring about you, Lena. Even if you never had forgiven me and never wanted to talk to me again, I would've kept doing it."

Lena stayed silent for long seconds, taking in the new information she learned.

"Are you mad at me?" Kara nibbled at her lips.

"For caring about me and making sure I'm okay? Why would I be mad?"

"I don't know, but I realize now, that it might sound weird to have someone listening to your heartbeat."

Lena smiled. "Honestly, if I had super-hearing, I'd probably do the same for you." She brushed softly her thumb over Kara's hand.

Kara's breath caught got in her throat at hearing Lena's words. Her heart fluttered at the feeling of Lena's hand in her own. She glanced down at Lena's lips and pictured how that could be like to kiss her. She exhaled and withdrew her hand from Lena's as she shifted slightly away.

Kara cleared her throat and avoided Lena's gaze. "How about we have some ice cream and watch a movie to cool down from what happened tonight?"

Lena grew quiet as she stared at her best friend, very aware that Kara had been looking awestruck at her lips before pulling away from her. Which was something Lena had already done countless of time. And that gave her the hope that Kara might feel the same way about her.

Kara looked up at her best friend. "We could also go to bed right now if you want," her face flushed as she told that.

Lena smiled. "Ice cream and movie sounds good, but I was wondering if some cuddles could be included in that?"

Not able to resist being close to the woman she loved, Kara put an arm around Lena's shoulders and kissed softly her cheek. "Of course." She rose up from the couch and went to pick up some ice cream.

"So what do you wanna watch?" Lena asked.

"Pick whatever you want." Kara smiled and sat down beside her best friend.

Lena selected a random movie. She couldn't care less about what she was going to watch as long as she could snuggle with Kara. She shifted closer to her best friend and laid her head on Kara's shoulder.

Kara smiled and kissed the top of Lena's head before wrapping an arm around her and softly holding her.

This time, when they slithered under the sheets, Lena consciously got closer to her best friend. She looked at Kara who was gazing at her with an arm put out, silently telling her to settle on her chest if she wanted to, which caused a wave of flutters to swirl through her.

Softly, Lena snaked her arms around Kara and laid her head on her chest. She settled her ear just above Kara's heart and listened to the steady beats.

Kara kissed the top of Lena's head and nuzzled her hair.

"I hope you don't mind that I listen to your heart until I fall asleep." Lena said quietly.

"Not at all." Kara let out a chuckle as she ran a hand through Lena's hair.

Lena smiled as she swore to herself that one day she would be brave enough to tell Kara that she was in love with her. And perhaps, if she was lucky enough, she would get everything she had always dreamed of and more.

With this happy thought and the most intense feeling of safety she got because of Kara's arms wrapped around her, Lena allowed herself to drift off to sleep.


	3. Unraveled Feelings (Part 1)

That morning, Lena woke up to the smell of pancakes and fresh coffee. Her eyes fluttered open, she glanced around her and realized that for the tenth times in a row, she had slept over at Kara's loft, wrapped into her best friend's arms, which for her, was the safest place of the world.

Ever since Kara had saved her in her office, they were basically living together and Lena only went to her penthouse to pick up her things, not without being accompanied by her best friend who wanted to make sure that she stayed safe at all times.

This new living arrangement was Kara's idea. Lena had been a bit reluctant at first, mainly because she didn't want to intrude into her best friend's space, and also because, the more she was spending time with her best friend, the more it became harder to hide that she was in love with her. But the puppy dog eyes and the pout Kara gave Lena when she had started to refuse her offer had been enough to convince her that Kara was right, that not living alone was the best way to stay safe.

So, here she was, waking up in her best friend's bed, while Kara had already woken up a while ago and made breakfast. Which was a situation that gave strange but good butterflies to her stomach and strong flutters to her chest. It also made her wish that she could have that every day. But she knew that eventually, this situation would come to an end as soon as Lex and Lillian would be arrested.

But for now, even in the middle of the chaos, she was more than willing to savor this piece of happiness while it lasted.

Before getting up, Lena reached the other side of the bed and gently seized Kara's pillow. She brought it closer to her face and closed her eyes as she breathed into her best friend's scent, which made her feel that Kara's arms were wrapped around her and gave the feeling of safety she craved constantly and that only Kara could provide her.

After getting ready for the day, she walked into the main room of the loft and saw that Kara was sitting around the kitchen island, looking at something on her laptop.

"Hey," Lena said softly and stepped closer to her best friend.

Kara looked up from her laptop and her breath got caught in her throat at the sight of her best friend, being absolutely perfect without even trying to be.

"Hi," she smiled. "I made some pancakes and coffee."

"Thanks," Lena sat down beside the plate and cup of coffee Kara had already set for her. "Although, I shouldn't eat pancakes as often. Unlike you, I can gain weight."

"Don't worry about that, you are perfect, Lena." Kara said.

Lena felt a slight blush warming her cheeks at Kara's words and the genuine tone in which she had spoken them. She stayed speechless, not sure how she was supposed to reply or if she was even supposed to reply.

"I... I mean that you are..." Kara stammered, feeling her face flush. She exhaled. "I mean what I said, you are perfect, and you still would be perfect even if you gained some weight. So, don't worry about that and drop the kale for some actual real good food."

"I love kale actually and not only because it's healthy food." Lena smiled.

"And I will never understand that." Kara said before shoving a bite of pancake into her mouth.

Lena let out a chuckle and took a sip of her coffee.

"Anyway, I may have found a way to expose Lex and Lillian." Kara said.

Lena tensed at these words, living with Kara made her feel so safe and so happy that sometimes, it made her forget the real reason behind her new living arrangement.

"I'm listening," she said and tried to ignore the knots that were making their way into her stomach.

"Basically, I should do what I did the first time I exposed Lex's crimes. There isn't a lot Supergirl can do to make the world see Lillian and Lex for who they are, but I really do think that in this matter the pen is mightier than the cape."

"See, Kara Danvers is a hero too." Lena smiled.

"I'm not trying to be hero, but thanks." Kara said. "Exposing Lex shouldn't be too hard, given the way he tried to wipe out half of the population. Andrea and Eve are both agreed to speak on the record. I also get Brainy's help. So exposing him should be done easily. Tracking and arresting him on the other hand..." She trailed off.

"I may have found a way for that, but that's not ready yet."

"I believe in you, Lena." Kara reached her hand across the table and covered Lena's hand with hers.

Lena's breath hitched at the feeling of Kara's soft hand caressing gently her own. Her heart skipped a couple of beats as she got lost into Kara's blue eyes.

Kara cleared her throat as she withdrew her hand from Lena's. She turned her gaze off her best friend and began staring at her laptop.

"Anyway, I'm trying to find out what Lillian is up to, but so far, I have no lead. William offered to help me out with the investigation."

Lena felt a pang of jealousy pinching her heart at the mention of that name. A bitter taste came into her mouth, she tried to get rid of it by sipping her coffee. She put down her cup and clenched her jaw, trying to hide a jealousy she knew she had no right to feel.

"You all right?" Kara furrowed her brow and looked deeply at her best friend.

"Yeah, I just... I mean, I'm fine. But are you sure it's a good idea to involve your boyfriend in this mess?"

Kara's eyes grew as wide as possible, "My boyfriend?"

"Yeah, being tangled into this mess could put him in danger."

"William is not my boyfriend."

Lena furrowed her brow, "Really?"

"Really," Kara nodded.

"Oh," a feeling of relief washed over Lena as she heard that. She smiled slightly. "I thought there was something between you two."

"There was. I mean, I thought there could be something. But then I realized that it's not because a guy is nice to me and brings me coffee that I owe him something. I don't feel anything romantic for him and I realized that I didn't have to force myself to feel something that could never be there. We talked and he understands perfectly. Our relationship is strictly professional. Besides, he's leaving in a couple of days. So, it's all good."

"As long as you're sure of what you want."

"I'm sure," Kara said in a tone that left no place to doubts. "I could never feel anything for him. He's not..." She trailed off and gazed awestruck at her best friend who somehow managed to be even more beautiful than she was a couple of seconds ago.

"He's not what?" Lena asked quietly.

"He's not my type." Kara replied, hoping this conversation would stop right there.

Lena smiled and quirked an eyebrow, "What's your type?"

Kara swallowed thickly and tried her best to fight her need to lean forward and cup Lena's cheeks before connecting their lips in a kiss that would make Lena understand that she was the only one Kara had romantic feelings for. But that didn't help that Lena was looking at her with that smile and that eyebrow raise that made her feel that her best friend was actually flirting with her. Kara licked slightly her own lips as she wondered how Lena's lips would feel like on her own.

A phone rang on the table.

Kara was yanked off of her daydreams. She felt a strong blush creep up to the tip of her ears and cleared slightly her throat as she forced herself to look away from her best friend.

Lena grabbed her phone. "It's Brainy," she said before picking up. "Hi… Alright. I'm coming." She hung up and rose from her seat.

Feeling finally brave enough to meet her best friend's eyes, Kara looked up. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Lena smiled. "Don't worry. Brainy is helping me out with a project and we're close to have some results. I gotta go."

"Okay. Be careful." Kara said.

"You too," Lena smiled and grabbed her purse before stepping to the front door. She spun around and sauntered closer to her best friend. She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Kara's cheek, a kiss way too long for being only a friendly gesture.

Kara felt her heart quicken and wished for this contact to never end. Even though she already looked forward to spending the night with Lena between her arms. Her breath got caught in her throat and flutters took over her chest as she felt a strong warmth coursing through every inch of her skin.

With a beaming smile, Lena pulled away, "See you later."

Feeling her face flush and not trusting herself to speak, Kara nodded with a smile.

Lena smiled at her again, and Kara felt her heart burst out her chest for one second. Her gaze didn't leave her best friend as she watched her walking out of the loft.

When the door closed, Kara exhaled while she wondered how long she could keep herself from telling Lena about the true feelings that swirled in her heart and that she struggled to hide, and didn't even want to hide anymore. Especially as she began to realize that Lena might feel the same way about her.

Kara shook slightly her head and tried to push her thoughts about her best friend in the back of her mind and focus on the task at hand.

* * *

At the Tower, a lab had been settled for Lena. Just like the med bay, Kara had used her super-speed to get things done quickly. One tear had escaped Lena's eye the first time she had glanced around this place that was hers. She had thanked Kara, and Kara had simply smiled at her best friend and gently swept the tear away with her thumb before kissing Lena's cheek softly. Lena had stared deeply at Kara for long seconds before throwing her arms around her and holding tight onto her. Kara had smiled and closed her eyes, relishing in the feeling of the woman she loved wrapped in her arms as she wished they could stay this way forever. She had kissed Lena's temple when Lena had withdrawn from the embrace. Their gazes had been deep on each other as they both had slowly begun to lean forward until Brainy walked into the lab, ready to work on the project Lena had asked him to help her out with. They both had pulled away with a blush coloring their faces, although Brainy had seemed oblivious to what he had just interrupted. Kara and Lena themselves weren't sure either of what had been about to happen.

It was four days ago, and Kara couldn't shake this moment out of her mind, just like she couldn't stop sweet shivers from coursing through her skin as she remembered this moment. She was on her way to Lena's lab. A part of her wished Lena was alone and a part of her wished there was someone with her. Although, she felt a bit self-conscious to be near Lena with her other friends around, mainly because she had a feeling that her sentiments for her best friend were obvious for anyone else. It was becoming more and more difficult to resist her desire to lean forward and kiss Lena every time they were alone. Kara had planned to tell Lena what she felt for her at some point, even though she had no idea how to do that. But she knew that right now, given everything that was going on, it wasn't the perfect time to do that. She wanted to wait until things became calmer.

On her way to the lab, her super-hearing picked up a sience-y conversation between Lena and Brainy. A smile took place on Kara's face. She loved that she had reconnected with Lena and that they were even closer than before, but it warmed her heart to know that she wasn't Lena's only friend. She loved that there were other people that believed and cared about Lena. She loved the fact that Lena had truly found her place in their team in such an easy way that it felt as though things had been this way from the very beginning.

Kara felt her heart skip a beat as she was about to enter the lab. It was something that happened every time she was about to see Lena. She also felt flutters swirl in her chest.

The biometric lock sealing the entrance of the lab had already been unlocked earlier, so all Kara had to do was pull the door open. She exhaled and slightly fidgeted with her glasses before walking into the lab.

Brainy and Lena stopped talking and Lena spun around, and a beaming smile made its way to her face when she saw her best friend stepping closer.

"Kara," she said, still with that beaming smile that lit up the entire room. At least that's what Kara felt when she looked at her.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Kara replied.

"No, we have just finished the project we were working on." Lena smiled.

"The device should work perfectly. Keep me updated for when you plan to use it. I want to look him in the eyes when we catch him." Brainy said with serious.

"Of course," Lena nodded in understanding. She knew what Brainy had gone through because of Lex. They had talked a lot about it these past days, and it was the first time in her life that Lena had opened up to someone that wasn't Kara. It had felt different to open up to Brainy, but it helped her to forgive herself for the choices she had made this year. After all, she and Brainy had both been manipulated by Lex, and they had both done things they regretted and were trying to make up for their mistakes.

"Thanks," Brainy said before walking out of the lab.

Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Kara stepped closer and pointed at a small device. "What is that?"

"Our way to catch Lex. Hopefully." Lena stared at the screen in front of her.

"How does it work?"

"It's a device that can track people through their DNA. For now, I manufactured it so it scans for Luthors DNA. We just have to hope he's still in National City and eliminate every place I've been. That should lead us to him."

"What if he's not in National City anymore?"

"I'll just have to upgrade the device, which shouldn't be too hard, but finding him will take more time if we don't know where looking for him precisely. And hopefully finding Lex will lead us to Lillian. Hopefully." she said, trying to make some kind of hope rise within her.

A crinkle appeared on Kara's brow. She knew that finding Lex and Lillian and taking them down had always been part of the plan. But eventually having the way to do that made everything more real and terrifying. Kara wasn't afraid for herself. But she couldn't stop that crippling fear that something might happen to her loved ones, mainly to Lena who had been Lex's and Lillian's favorite target in the past.

Feeling the anxiety emanating from her best friend, Lena put a hand to Kara's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "You all right?"

"Please, Lena, don't do anything until I finish my article."

"The longer we wait, the more people will get hurt."

"I know. But on this Earth, Lex is a hero." Kara scrunched her nose as she referred to Lex as a hero. "We have to prove he's not what the world thinks. I'm close to finishing exposing him. But I haven't found anything about Lillian yet, she's literally a model citizen on this Earth."

"Which makes her even more suspicious to me. I only saw her one time since then and she looked even colder than the Lillian I remember." She sighed. "I know she's up to something. I can't explain why, but I just feel it."

Kara softly slid her hand into Lena's. "You don't have to explain yourself. I believe you. We all believe you."

Lena smiled slightly. "Thank you, Kara. That means a lot to me."

Kara felt her heart skip a beat at seeing Lena's smile. She pressed her own lips together and cleared her throat. "So, where do we go from here?" she asked without letting go of Lena's hand.

"Well, we can start with Lex and hope it will lead us to Lillian and prove that she's not a model citizen. I wish we could come up with a better plan but I don't think we have the luxury to wait until we find one. We have to act quickly if we don't want for the world to explode." Lena replied with a sigh escaping her lips.

"You're right," Kara conceded. "I'm just... I'm worried for you. I don't want you getting hurt again. Especially by them."

Lena smiled and entwined her fingers with Kara's. "Don't worry. I have survived Lex and Lillian for that long. I'm not going to let them bring me down now. Not when I finally feel that I belong among a group of people. Not when I finally feel loved for who I am."

Kara rubbed softly her thumb over the back of Lena's hand. "You belong. And you are loved. Never doubts that anymore."

"I know that now." Lena smiled and gaze deeply into Kara's eyes. "Thank you, Kara."

"For what?" Kara slightly furrowed her brow but a little smile curled at her lips.

"For making me feel safe. No matter what happens." Lena said softly.

"I'm always gonna be there for you, Lena. I said it before and I will prove it forever." Kara squeezed gently Lena's hand.

Tears welled up into Lena's eyes. "Kara," she breathed out.

Kara slid her hand up to Lena's cheek and caressed it softly as she leaned forward.

Lena closed her eyes and leaned her cheek into Kara's palm. Her heart skipped a beat before quickening. She could feel Kara's breath on her face and waited to feel the soft caress of her lips on hers, her heart fluttered in anticipation and a strong feeling of warmth washed over her.

Behind them, they heard someone clearing their throat.

Kara and Lena both slightly jumped in surprise as they pulled away from each other, both feeling a deep blush heat their skin. They avoided making eye-contact and spun into the direction of the person who had disrupted the moment they had both dreamed of for over four years, finding Alex stepping closer to them with an amused smile plastered on her face.

"Are you ready to have lunch?" Alex asked her sister, her amused smile not fading.

Kara cleared her throat. She had forgotten the main reason she went to the Tower in the first place. She was supposed to pick Alex up so they could go to Noonan's. But when she arrived, she hadn't been able to resist checking up on Lena first and then her lunch break with her sister had disappeared from her mind and all she had been able to focus on was her feelings for her best friend.

"I, uh... yes. I was just waiting for you." Kara said.

Alex nodded with a smile and looked at Lena. "Do you wanna come with us?"

Lena was still trying to make her heart pick its normal pace. She exhaled slightly. "No, thanks, I have some work to do." She gave Alex a polite smile.

"Alright," Alex said with a slight smile as she stepped closer to the exit.

Kara spun to her best friend and got closer to her. "Don't forget to take the time to eat." She pulled Lena in a hug.

"I won't. I promise." Lena smiled, loving how protective Kara was of her. She gave Kara's body a gentle squeeze before slowly withdrawing from the embrace.

Kara smiled and leaned in to press a soft kiss to Lena's forehead, which made another blush spread on Lena's cheeks as deep flutters swirled in her chest.

Kara pulled away and spun around to join her sister. Alex still had the same amused smile stuck on her face as they walked outside the Tower.

"Why are you smiling like this?" Kara furrowed her brow.

Alex shrugged but her smile widened. "I'm just happy to see you and Lena being so close again."

Kara felt a slight blush making its way to her face and from the look in her sister's eyes and her wide amused smile, she figured easily that Alex knew what she felt for Lena. She chose not to dwell on this though.

"Me too," she simply said.

Alex let out a quiet chuckle as they made their way to the restaurant.

* * *

At Noonan's, Kara was stuffing her face with potstickers while from across the table, Alex was still eyeing her with an amused smile and looked as though she waited for Kara to tell her what was going on in her mind.

Finally, Kara swallowed her last potsticker and sighed, "What? Why are you looking at me like this?"

"What's happening between you and Lena?" Alex asked.

Kara's eyes widened. "Nothing. I mean, nothing out of the ordinary. We're just friends. Best friends." she said.

"Well, I've never kissed my friend's forehead before leaving for a lunch break. I kissed Kelly's though."

Kara's heart quickened, she wasn't sure why. Perhaps because she had never admitted to anyone that she was in love with Lena. Even though she never kept secrets from her sister. The truth behind her feelings for her best friend was something that it took her years of struggle to be brave enough to silently admit to herself. This time though, she felt ready to say it out loud.

Kara took a few calming breaths and her heart picked a more peaceful pace.

"I'm in love with her. If I'm honest with myself, I've been in love with her from the first moment I walked into her office. I didn't realize it right away though. But, she just took my breath away from the second I laid my eyes on her. She left me awestruck and speechless. And honestly, if I hadn't met her at this moment of my life, I'm not sure I'd be a reporter today. She has mistaken me for one and something lit up in my mind. She inspired me and made me become a better version of myself. She still does it actually. I wouldn't be the person I am today if I hadn't met her. I felt as if something was missing in me when I thought I lost her. I'm in love with Lena Luthor. Gosh, I love her so much, Alex." Kara began fiddling nervously with her glasses.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting you to say all that. But I can't say that I'm surprised."

Kara buried her face in her palm and sighed. "What am I gonna do?"

"Kara," Alex put her hand on her sister's arm.

Kara took her face off her palm. "I missed her like hell for a year. But that was easier to pretend that these feelings that she has put in me weren't there when we weren't talking. When we weren't living together."

Alex chuckled. "We can say that you are really doing things out of order. Moving together before you even start dating."

"You're not helping, Alex. Besides, it's for her protection. I know I gave her the signal watch, so technically she'd be safe on her own, but Lex is out there, who knows where, probably plotting with Lillian to destroy the world. I need to know that Lena is safe. I need to keep her safe. I want to protect her. But once this problem is solved, she probably will go back to her penthouse. I'm already anxious when I think about the nights and mornings I will have to spend without her. Although living with her doesn't help me to keep hiding my feelings, I love living with her and I wish things could stay this way forever."

"Why don't you just tell her what you feel?"

Kara scrunched her nose. "Too scary. Although I think I was about to kiss her before you walked in her lab."

"Yeah, I noticed that. I think she was very frustrated it didn't happen."

"You think she's in love with me too?" Kara asked hopeful.

"Don't you?"

"Sometimes I think she does and I want to tell her what I feel. But then, sometimes I'm not sure, I get scared, so I don't say anything. Besides, we have gone through a rather rough patch. Perhaps it's too soon to... to be more than friends." Kara sighed.

"Or maybe you needed to go through that rough patch to become more than friends."

Kara furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you have both been terrible at handling your feelings probably because you have never been honest about the true feelings you both have for each other."

"I... I've never thought of it that way." Kara said. She exhaled. "Are my feelings so obvious?"

"The bond between you two is obvious for anyone who spent a couple of minutes with you in the same room."

"Really?"

Alex nodded. "M'gann asked J'onn if you were ex-girlfriends the day we stopped Leviathan. Nia keeps saying she's shipping you both and that you are her OTP. Brainy doesn't say anything but he always looks as if he knew something no one else does, but he's from the future so..." She trailed off. "And Kelly noticed your connection before Lena found out your secret and she's the one who pointed it out to me. I laughed and didn't believe her at first until I started noticing things myself."

"What did you notice?" Kara asked.

"You can't keep your hands off each other. I'm not sure best friends cuddle as much as you do. You're always hugging and your hugs last long. Probably too long for being platonic. I mean, the forehead and cheek kisses and the way you're always holding hands don't look platonic to me. You're also always standing super close to each other every time you are in the same room. It's like you both have the vital need to be close to each other. You have been the first person to believe in her. You always stood up for her. Even when you messed up at some point, you never stopped fighting for her and wanting to fix your mistakes. Lena is hard to understand and you are the first person who's been able to really get to know her. I don't know what she feels for you but it's obvious how much she cares about you no matter the rough patch you went through."

Kara stayed silent for long minutes as she pondered what her sister had just told her.

"But is she in love with me?" She huffed, kind of frustrated of not being certain of that fact.

"That's a question only Lena can answer. But I'd say the odds are in your favor."

"So, what am I supposed to do? Telling my best friend that I'm love with her and hoping she feels the same while risking losing her if she doesn't?"

"What you decide to do is up to you, Kara. What I'm saying is that you have a lot of chances that your feelings are reciprocated. You can either wait for Lena to make the first step or do it yourself. But perhaps Lena is as terrified as you of losing you and won't do anything because of that."

"So, I have to tell her." Kara said. "I had planned to tell her actually. At some point. I'm not sure how or when. I mean life is crazy right now. I'm not sure it's the best time to complicate things further."

"Or perhaps you're just looking out for excuse because you're scared." Alex said with a kind smile.

"Yeah. Maybe." Kara agreed. "Give me your potstickers." She stuck her arm out and was about to take her sister's plate.

"You already ate all of yours, Kara."

"I know. But I need to get some strengths while I'm thinking about making the biggest decision of my life. Give me my comfort food, please." She pouted.

Alex sighed but conceded, "fine," she gave Kara all her potstickers.

"Thanks," Kara grinned and dug into her food, thinking that perhaps she could do what she wanted. Perhaps she could tell Lena that she was in love with her. Perhaps Lena was feeling the same way. And perhaps they finally would get the happiness they deserved.


	4. Unraveled Feelings (Part 2)

The bright light of the sun poured into Kara's loft. Her eyes blinked open when she woke up that morning. Her heart fluttered when she realized that she was spooning Lena from behind. Her best friend was still sound asleep and Kara couldn't resist nuzzling slightly her hair and breathing into the sweet scent of her shampoo. Lena stirred in her sleep and pressed her back into Kara's front as she reached her hand and unconsciously entwined their fingers. Kara's heart skipped a beat even though it wasn't the first time a morning like this happened. It always left her awestruck and speechless. Feeling Lena so close to her gave her the strength she needed to face whatever was going to happen in the day. It was even more energizing than the sun pouring brightly through the room. She propped herself onto one elbow and leaned closer to Lena. She slowly took Lena's dark-hair off her face and admired her perfect features in the light shining on her and making her look even more breathtaking.

Kara caressed softly Lena's cheek before leaning in and pressing a sweet kiss to the smooth skin that made her lips tingle in the best way. Lena's lips curled in a slight smile but Kara could tell from the sound of her breathing and heartbeat that she was still in a deep sleep. Before blurting how much she was in love to a sleeping Lena, Kara gently withdrew from the embrace their bodies were tightly entangled into while trying not to wake Lena up before heading the bathroom and taking a shower that she hoped would help her clear her mind. She had planned to tell Lena that she loved her, either after catching Lex and Lillian or while they were still working on that. But she wanted to do something that would be worthy of Lena. She didn't want to blurt something so important only because being near Lena made her lose the control she used to always have on her emotions.

The morning enfolded the same way it did most of the time, Lena woke up a little while after Kara and walked into the main room of the loft to find her best friend sitting around the kitchen island, shoving large bites of pancakes into her mouth while she stared at her laptop. Lena smiled at how adorable she looked, she sauntered closer to her best friend and told her _good morning_ before kissing her cheek. Another smile swept on her face when she saw the tip of Kara's ears turning pink as she stammered _good morning_. Lena gave her best friend another smile and sat down across her, in front of the yogurt and cup of coffee Kara had already set for her. No matter how many times Kara insisted that she was perfect and made her blush and smile every time, Lena decided to pick up healthier eating habits and not eat pancakes, pizza or ice cream every day, even though she was living with Kara. She had to promise Kara that she wouldn't make her eat kale though and Lena agreed while she chuckled and wondered how Kara's eating habits didn't make her realize that Kara couldn't be human.

"So, how's your article going?" Lena asked.

"It should be ready in a couple of days." Kara said. "I have another appointment with Andrea this morning and I'm gonna see Eve later. And I... um, I was wondering... you don't have to accept if that makes you uncomfortable, I understand... but that could..."

Lena reached her hand across the table and softly covered Kara's hand with her own. "Just ask me what you want, Kara. I'll do whatever I can to help you."

"I was wondering if you were okay with talking about your experience with Lex. For my article. I mean, you don't have to give personal details. But you know better than anyone what he's capable of."

"Indeed. I do." Lena withdrew her hand from Kara's before looking down and chewing at her lips.

Kara gazed at her best friend. Worries swirled within her as she watched Lena chewing nervously at her lips and refusing to meet her eyes. Although Lena had opened up about her time with Lex, Kara felt as if there was still certain things Lena hadn't told her. She had never told her explicitly what had been the thing that had made her realize that her brother hadn't changed. And Kara didn't want to bring out painful memories to her best friend so she hadn't asked. But she also knew that sometimes Lena needed to have a gentle nudge to open up, that she needed to be told that she was safe to say whatever was weighting on her heart.

"You know you can tell me anything." Kara said softly.

Lena looked up at her best friend and gave her a small smile. "I know." She stayed silent though. She wasn't sure what to say.

"Did Lex hurt you?"

Lena involuntary snorted at this question. _When Lex didn't hurt me?_ she silently asked herself. Lex had been hurting her from the moment he declared war on Superman and showed his true face.

She exhaled. "He didn't hurt me physically if that you're worrying about. But he did yell at my face, he was so close that he almost spit on me actually. I'm used to him yelling at me. Yelling is what he does every time things don't go his way. But this time, he was angrier than I've ever seen him. I've been scared actually and I... I'm scared to face him again." Her hands began shaking slightly and she started wringing them to try to stop the shaking sensations in her.

Kara reached her hands across the table and gently took both of Lena's hands in hers. "You don't have to face him again." She gave Lena's hands a soft squeeze.

Lena let out a small sigh. She stayed silent for a couple of seconds and took in the comfort she felt from being with Kara and knowing that Kara loved and supported her. "I need to. I want him to know that no matter how hard he tries to destroy me, I'm still standing. That I'm not the fool he wants to convince me I am."

Without letting go of Lena's hands, Kara got up and moved to stand near her best friend and gaze deeply at her. "I understand and I'll be there to protect you. I promise you, Lena. I will never let anyone hurt you."

Slight tears welled up into Lena's eyes, she allowed them to slowly roll down on her cheeks.

Kara smiled at her best friend and brought her hands to her cheeks. She gently swept the tears away and rested her hands on Lena's cheeks. "As long as you don't want to be alone, I promise you that you will never be. I'm not the only one who cares about you and wants to protect you. You have a whole family that wants to be there for you. You don't have to be scared anymore. You don't have to face anything on your own if you don't want to. We are all here for you, Lena. I promise."

Feeling her overwhelming emotions and the unconditional love and support that she wasn't used to feel about to make her break in tears, Lena swallowed thickly and smiled at her best friend through her eyes glistening with subtle tears.

Kara caressed softly Lena's cheeks before sliding down her hands to wrap her arms around her best friend and gently pull her into a loving embrace that she hoped would make Lena understand even more how much she meant everything she said.

Lena felt herself melt into the embrace and snaked her arms around her best friend. She held on tight to Kara and nuzzled her neck as she felt Kara's fingers running slowly through her hair while her other hand rubbed soothing motions on her back. She exhaled, she didn't feel afraid about anything anymore and she knew with certainty that she was safe.

* * *

A couple of days went by, Lena was spending most of her days in her lab at the Tower, working on various projects while she helped the team solve the cases they were working on.

Kara on her side, shared her time between her Supergirl duties and working on her article, she had already more than enough things on Lex to make him go in jail for a very long time, but she wanted to make sure not to neglect any details. Andrea and Eve both gave her the info she needed to write a convincing article that would prove that Lex Luthor wasn't what he pretended to be. She also had a lot of conversations with Lena and her best friend opened up to her even more than before. The conversations were heavy and always ended up with Lena spilling some tears and Kara wrapping protectively her arms around her best friend, wanting to shield her from everything, especially from the pain that still plagued her heart.

During these days, Kara and Lena became even closer than before, which made their family wonder if they had secretly started dating. No one said anything though, they figured that Kara and Lena would talk to them once they would want for their relationship to become public.

But they weren't dating, even though it looked like it from the outside, even though it felt like it for them both.

Lena already dreaded the day she would have to leave Kara's warm and homey loft to go back to her cold and empty penthouse. She wasn't sure she could stand the silence that surrounded this place and the bad memories attached to it. She wanted to stay wrapped in Kara's warmth that made her feel that nothing could hurt her, that she was safe and that she was home. Perhaps if she was brave enough to tell Kara that she was in love with her, everything would become easier, they could eventually live together for good and Lena wouldn't have to worry about blurting her feelings out of nowhere without realizing the words that would come out of her mouth. Blurting her feelings without thinking was actually something that threatened to happen the more she was spending time with her best friend. Sometimes, she even felt as though she and Kara were a couple. Falling asleep and waking up wrapped in Kara's arms didn't help her brain and her heart to register the fact that she and Kara weren't a couple. But from the way Kara acted with her, she felt even more that Kara wanted them to become more than best friends. Which ignited a hope within her and made her start thinking of a beautiful way she could tell her best friend that she was in love with her since they met. She had yet to find the right time and gather enough strength and courage. But she wanted to be sure Kara felt the same way about her before doing anything that could ruin their friendship if she was simply imagining things and Kara didn't feel what she felt.

The more the time passed, the more Kara struggled to wait for the right time. She wasn't even sure there would ever be a right time to tell her best friend that she was in love with her and risking the fact that her feelings might be one-sided, that perhaps she would simply lose one of the persons that mattered the most to her. Kara had already felt the pain of losing Lena for an entire year and she knew that she would be shattered if she had to go through this again. She also knew what it was like to try to hide something from Lena, waiting for the right time, only to have the truth come to light by someone else in the worst possible way. She didn't want that to happen again. She owed Lena the truth, and she owed it to herself to be honest. There would probably never be a perfect time to reveal her other secret, but Kara knew that she could easily find a calm time to speak from her heart and tell Lena what she felt for her since the moment she laid her eyes on her.

* * *

After they had dinner, Kara and Lena were huddled together on the couch under a soft blanket. Actually, more accurately, Lena was almost sitting on Kara's lap as they watched a movie. Lena's head rested on Kara's shoulder and one of her arms was wrapped tight around her best friend. Kara had her arms enveloped around Lena and held her close, trying to quiet her racing thoughts and calm down her pounding heart at the feelings that swirled within her. Lena's scent was all over her and Kara wasn't sure she could hold back telling Lena how much she loved her for very much longer.

Kara felt herself furrowing her brow. Perhaps she didn't have to wait. The moment was peaceful. The day had been quiet. Their emotions hadn't been all over the place. They had both gone to work like two regular people. No villains had wrecked-havoc on the city. No one had mentioned Lex and Lillian and the looming threat they were to National City. The day had felt good. There had been no talk about what it meant to be a Luthor and a Super. They were simply Kara and Lena, two best friends that were probably in love with each other but were too scared of losing each other to say anything. That's what Kara thought at least. And she didn't want to keep hoping that Lena felt the same way about her while daydreaming of the life she wanted to live. She needed to know if there was a chance that she could be with Lena the way she wanted to be. After years of suffering, she wanted them both to get the happiness they deserved so much.

She tried to think of a way to put her thoughts into words as the movie she had stopped paying attention to enfolded in front of her. She had no idea what was going on on the screen and she didn't care. If she was honest with herself, she loved watching movies with Lena only because they were always cuddling as they did so. She looked down at her best friend, Lena's green eyes were focused on the screen and she seemed interested in what she was watching. Kara decided to wait until the end of the movie. Which would give her a little more time to gather her thoughts and try to string coherent sentences with them. It was a task that was more difficult than Kara would have thought and that made feel frustrated with herself. As a reporter, it shouldn't be too hard to formulate coherent sentences. But when it came to talk about her feelings, everything felt so much harder. It was even harder to think when she felt Lena's dainty fingers running soft motions on her hip under the blanket. Kara looked down at her best friend who was still focused on the movie and didn't seem aware of what she was doing. Kara felt her heart quicken. She swallowed thickly and exhaled.

Lena straightened her stance and looked up at her best friend. "You all right?" she asked in a concerned tone as she kept rubbing softly her warm fingers on Kara's hip.

Kara gulped and tried to resist to the searing desire she felt that made her want to capture Lena's lips in a breathtaking kiss. That's not how she wanted to tell Lena what she felt, no matter how much the idea of kissing Lena felt tempting at this very moment.

She shook slightly her head and smiled. "Yeah. That's a good movie."

Lena smiled warmly at her best friend and leaned in to press a soft kiss to her cheek before laying her head on Kara's shoulder again. She stopped rubbing Kara's hip and tightened her embrace on her best friend as she settled deeper between her arms. She smiled when Kara kissed the top of her head and gave her body a gentle squeeze.

Kara didn't know how much time had passed when the movie ended. Lena didn't move from her position. Kara focused on the sound of Lena's heartbeat, it was calm and steady, she looked completely at peace, and Kara wanted for this moment to never end. She stayed silent, her arms were still wrapped around Lena and she didn't move either. She took in the serenity emanating from Lena, which brought her a new sense of calm and gave her the strength she needed to do what she had been wanting to do for a very long time.

She inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Lena, I need to tell you something." She tensed slightly when the words escaped her. She knew there was no going back now. She could either make up something or tell the truth. And she was more tempted in going through with what she wanted to do, no matter how much she was afraid that Lena might not feel the same way. But when Lena straightened her stance to look up at her and brought a hand to her cheek, caressing it softly as she gazed at her as if she was the most important person in her life, Kara's doubts and uncertainties vanished in one swoop. She smiled. "I'm not sure how to say that. But I'm…" _I'm in love with you,_ the sentence was as clear as the clearest crystal in her mind, and she didn't feel afraid to say it out loud. But she didn't want to startle Lena with a sudden declaration. She knew Lena was sometimes overwhelmed when she realized that she had people that genuinely cared about her and loved her.

"You mean a lot to me, Lena. You mean the world to me actually." She chose to say instead.

"You mean the world to me too." Lena smiled and gently slid her hand into Kara's.

Kara looked down at their joined hands and softly entwined their fingers together before looking up at her best friend. "The thing is... You mean more to me than I've felt brave enough to admit for a very long time. Even to myself. I have felt drawn to you from the first moment I met you. I've felt a connection between you and me that I'd never felt with anyone before. Almost as if somehow, you were the missing piece in my life, the one I needed to find to feel whole. And when we weren't in each other's lives anymore, I felt as if something had been ripped out of my chest, as if my heart wasn't the same way anymore. As if something was constantly missing. And something, or more accurately someone was constantly missing. You were missing from my life and not only I missed you like crazy, I also struggled to recognize myself. I'm sure of one thing, Lena. No matter how you're gonna react after what I'm about to tell you, I don't want to lose you. I… I don't expect anything from you, but I just want to keep the privilege of having you in my life, even if you might not feel what I feel."

Lena felt her heart quicken as she began guessing what Kara could eventually be about to tell her. But she wouldn't believe it until Kara spoke it clearly.

"You okay? Your heart is beating really fast." Kara worriedly placed a hand on Lena's chest and felt the quick beats of her heart beneath her hand.

A blush made its way to Lena's face when she realized once again that Kara could hear her heartbeat. Her heart that always showed the feelings she had tried to hide, even from herself for quite some time. But right now, she was ready to embrace everything she felt, especially if Kara told what Lena thought she was about to tell her. She smiled and placed her hand over Kara's on her chest while their other hands were still joined. "I'm fine, Kara. I just need you to finish your very beautiful speech."

Kara smiled. "You are the most incredible person I have ever met. You inspire me. I probably wouldn't be a reporter if you hadn't mistaken me for one. So thank you for that. I also need to tell you that you are the most beautiful person I've ever laid my eyes upon. I don't mean only on Earth, but among the galaxy. And I've been on a dozen of planets, so surely that's saying something. You take my breath away and leave me awestruck and speechless more times than I can count. And I... I don't want to startle you with words you maybe aren't ready to hear yet. But I'm..." She trailed off.

Her eyes glistening under the rush of emotions swirling within her, Lena squeezed softly Kara's hand. "Just say it, Kara. I am ready to hear it. More than ready." she said quietly.

"I love you, Lena Luthor. I'm in love with you." Kara exhaled.

Lena felt a tear rolling down on her cheek. Her chin quivered and she pressed her own lips together. She had guessed Kara was about to tell her something like that but she hadn't expected the pure feelings of happiness and belonging that began swirling within her and made her feel that even though their lives would always be complicated, as long as they were together, they would always be safe.

Kara put a hand to Lena's cheek and swept the tear away with her thumb. "Lena?" she whispered and cupped Lena's cheek with her hand.

"Can you say it again, please?" Lena asked in a quiet voice. "I need to make sure I'm not dreaming."

Kara smiled and caressed Lena's cheek. "I love you, Lena Luthor. I'm in love with you." she said, her loving tone showing how much she meant it.

Slight tears spilled out of Lena's eyes. Kara brought both of her hands on Lena's cheeks and gently swept the tears away. The loving look and beaming smile Lena gave her were enough for Kara to know that her feelings weren't one-sided.

Feeling her voice get caught in her throat because of her overwhelming emotions, Lena decided to try to wordlessly express the sentiments that made her heart swell with the strongest happiness she had ever felt. She put her hands to Kara's cheeks and leaned forward, softly connecting their lips in a kiss they had both been waiting a long time for.

Kara didn't register at first what was happening. It took her a couple of seconds to realize that she was kissing the woman she had been in love with for years. She felt Lena's hands stroking her cheeks as their lips were joined in a soft caress. Kara wrapped her arms around her best friend and pulled her closer to her before pressing their lips together more firmly. If that was possible, Kara felt herself fall even more in love at this contact.

Lena's heart fluttered as she savored the softness of those lips she had dreamed to kiss for such a long time.

Gently, Lena swept her tongue across Kara's lips. Kara pulled her best friend closer to her as she opened her mouth.

A moan escaped them both when their tongue met for the first time and began mingling as their lips slid together perfectly.

Breathless, Lena slightly pulled back first. She opened her eyes and was surprised to find Kara seeming as out of breath as she was.

Kara's eyes fluttered open, her face was flushed, and she was still trying to catch her breath.

Amused and quite turned on at the sight in front of her, Lena quirked an eyebrow, "I didn't think Supergirl could be breathless with a kiss."

"Me neither." Kara breathed out. "That's the first time it happens."

Their gazes locked together and a wide grin spread on both of their faces.

Kara put a hand to Lena's cheek, awestruck at her beauty as she caressed her soft skin. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

With a beaming smile, Lena nodded and leaned closer to Kara, staring deeply at her, her eyes expressing everything. "I love you, Kara Zor-El Danvers. I'm in love with you too."

Tears brimmed into Kara's eyes at the fact that Lena had used her full name, making her embrace every part of herself and showing Kara once again that with some people she could be completely herself. And her heart swelled with happiness and love to know that Lena Kieran Luthor was one of those people with whom she didn't have to hide anything. It made it all even more overwhelming to know that Lena loved her for who she really was. Her tears rolled down without her even realizing it until she felt Lena gently wiping them.

With her beaming smile not fading, Lena leaned in and kissed softly Kara's lips before resting her forehead with hers.

Kara closed her eyes and wrapped Lena in a loving embrace. "I love you so much, Lena," she felt the need to say again.

Lena smiled and tightened her embrace around Kara.

They held onto each other for a long time, their breathing were in sync and their hearts were beating in the same rhythm.

"Pinch me, Kara." Lena's voice came out slightly muffled against Kara's shoulder.

Kara let out a laugh and cupped Lena's cheek with her hand, their eyes met and she beamed, "What?"

Lena let out a small sigh but a smile was stuck on her face, "I've dreamed of being with you like this for such a long time. I can't believe this is finally happening. That feels too good to be true."

Kara pulled Lena closer to her and made her sit on her lap, she put her hand to Lena's cheek and caressed it softly, "We're allowed to have good things too, Lena. Even when there's so much thing going on around us. We deserve to finally be happy, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Lena huffed out and nodded her head with a smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around Kara's shoulders. "But I still think I need to be pinched to make sure I'm not dreaming."

Kara chuckled. "I can do better than pinch you." She pulled Lena closer to her and connected their lips, eliciting a sweet moan from Lena when she slithered her tongue into her mouth and mingled with hers until she withdrew and tugged Lena's bottom lip between her own lips and started to gently suck on it.

Lena's eyes were still closed and her breathing was heavy when Kara slightly pulled back.

"Did you feel that?" Kara whispered into Lena's ear.

"Yeah," Lena breathed out.

Kara began sucking softly at Lena's earlobe, causing Lena to moan quietly.

Kara smiled and stopped her suction to give a tickling kiss under Lena's ear. "And that?"

"Kara," Lena gasped.

Kara kissed Lena's cheek and Lena's eyes fluttered open on Kara who was gazing at her with a loving smile and sparkling eyes.

Lena put her hands to Kara's cheeks and brought their faces closer to capture Kara's soft lips with her own.

Their tongue quickly found each other and glided together for long minutes until Lena became breathless and withdrew to scatter kisses over Kara's neck.

Kara gasped and without even realizing it, she slithered her hand under the hoodie Lena was wearing, her fingers making contact with the warm skin she had been longing to touch for such a long time.

Lena felt shivers run up and down her spine when Kara began brushing the bare skin of her back with her fingers, which ignited what felt like a wildfire within her. She began sucking at the pulse point of Kara's neck, even though she knew she couldn't leave a mark, she still elicited a moan from the Girl of Steel and smiled against her skin. She kissed softly the spot she had just sucked on and lifted her face to pull Kara in a searing kiss as her hands slid under Kara's sweatshirt and began trailing down her abs while she switched her position to straddle Kara's lap.

Kara moaned into Lena's mouth, feeling a strong heat course through her that made her yearn for more. She could feel that she was ready for more and really wanted to do more than just kissing tonight. But she and Lena had declared their love for each other only a couple of minutes ago, and she didn't want them to rush into things too soon. She especially didn't want to risk doing something Lena might not be ready for yet.

Her breathing heavy, Kara slightly pulled away. "Lena, wait..." She breathed out.

"Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry if I've been too forward. I..."

"Lena, don't..." Kara took both of Lena's hands in hers. "Don't apologize for anything that's just happened. I'm really into what's happening right now. But I have a feeling that we're not gonna stop there if we keep doing what we're currently doing. And I don't want to pressure you to... you know." She blushed slightly.

Lena smiled and kissed softly Kara's lips as she gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "I'm not feeling pressured at all. I'm only feeling more turned on than I've ever been."

Kara slightly clenched her thighs together, feeling the heat within her increase because of Lena's words and the position they were in. She stayed silent for a few seconds and gazed deeply at Lena, feeling herself fall even more in love at the tender look Lena was giving her.

Lena put her hands to Kara's cheeks and caressed them softly. "But we can wait if you're not ready yet. I understand. I don't want you to feel pressured either."

"I don't feel pressured and I really want to do this. I just wanna make sure it's not too soon." Kara said.

"That doesn't feel too soon for me. I know we may be doing things out of order. We haven't even gone on a real date, and we already kind of live together. But we've been best friends for years and for me the lunch breaks we've had really felt like dates."

"For me too, they felt like dates. I wanted them to be. But I was too scared to ask you out. I was afraid of ruining our friendship."

Lena smiled, "How about instead of ruining our friendship, we turn it into something different? We're still best friends, but… We can add something more to this. I don't mean becoming friends with benefits, just so we're clear."

"Is that your way of asking me to be your girlfriend?" Kara grinned.

"Maybe..." Lena drawled with a smile.

Kara beamed and leaned forward to put her lips on Lena's in a loving kiss.

Lena quirked an eyebrow, "Is that your way of accepting to be my girlfriend?"

"Definitely," Kara nodded with a wide happy grin.

Lena let out a chuckle and cupped Kara's cheek with her hand. She connected their lips in a sweet kiss before resting her forehead with hers. "Are you ready to take us to your bed, Supergirl?" she whispered.

"Well, it's kind of our bed right now. But, yes." She smiled and kissed softly Lena's forehead.

With a beaming smile, Lena got up from Kara's lap. She stuck out her arm to her girlfriend.

Kara took Lena's hand in hers as she rose to her feet. She pulled Lena closer to her and connected their lips in a loving kiss as she slid down her hands and gently picked Lena up from the floor.

Lena smiled into the kiss as she wrapped her legs around Kara's hips, flutters took over her chest at her girlfriend's gentle display of strength.

With their lips still joined, Kara floated them to the bedroom and laid Lena down on the bed.

Their lips parted until their mouth met again in a scorching kiss and Kara's hand fiddled with the hoodie Lena was wearing as if she wasn't sure what to do even though her desire to take it off was more than obvious from the way she kissed Lena.

Lena withdrew from the kiss and rested her forehead with Kara's. "Take it off," she said quietly.

Kara gave Lena a smile and pulled the hoodie over her shoulders and her head. Her jaw dropped when she discovered Lena's bare chest for the first time. She hadn't thought of this before taking the hoodie off but after weeks of living with Lena she knew that Lena always took her bra off as soon as she put comfy clothes on. Still, seeing those perfect breasts in front of her caused her brain to stop functioning for a couple of seconds. She began biting at her bottom lip as she gazed at Lena, her eyes burning with love and desire.

Lena shifted closer to Kara and brushed her fingers on her sweatshirt, "Can I?"

"Yeah," Kara nodded.

Gently, Lena tugged Kara's sweatshirt off and let it fall beside hers on the floor as she gazed at Kara's chest covered with a blue cotton bra. But what caused Lena's mouth to go dry was the perfect sculpted abs that she couldn't wait to ravish. She glanced up at Kara's chest, seeing Kara slide her hands behind her back and unhook her bra, letting it fall behind her, and making Lena's brain short circuit at the sight. Once she regained her brain function, she smiled and pulled Kara atop her.

Their bare breasts made contact for the first time and the sensation was so overwhelming that both of them could have come from this simple contact.

Their mouth met in a searing kiss and their tongue began gliding together as they lapped at each other until Kara pulled away but didn't move from atop Lena.

Lena's eyes fluttered open on Kara, who was looking at her, worries clouding her beautiful blue eyes and making Lena feel a bit confused about what was happening.

She put her hand to Kara's cheek and caressed it softly, "Kara, what's wrong?"

"I'm afraid of hurting you." Kara sighed, this fear more than obvious in her voice and in the way she was looking at Lena.

"Why would you hurt me?" Lena furrowed her brow in confusion.

"What if I can't control my strength?" Kara asked and for a moment Lena thought that Kara was about to cry. It made her heart ache and she wanted nothing more than to comfort and reassure Kara.

"I'm not worried about that. You always seem in full control of your strength." Lena said gently and caressed softly Kara's cheek.

"I am. Most of the time."

"So, what's different?" Lena straightened her stance and Kara sat up in front of her. She took Kara's hand in hers and rubbed softly their thumbs together.

"Well, I haven't been that close to someone in a very, very long time. And it's been even longer since I've been that close to a human. I was in college actually. And I… I've never felt that strongly about someone before, so I… I'm afraid that my overwhelming feelings could make me lose the control I usually have on my strength."

Lena smiled and took Kara's other hand in her own. "I'm not afraid of you, Kara. With how gentle you always are with me, I know you can control your strength. I trust you." She slid up a hand to Kara's cheek and rested it there. "I love you." She leaned in and kissed Kara's lips. "So, if you're in... We can try to do this. And if at any moment, you're not feeling completely good and comfortable with what we're doing and you want to stop or take a break, don't by afraid of telling me. I'm here for you. I just want you to feel good."

Feeling happy tears well up into her eyes, Kara wrapped Lena in an embrace. "Thank you for being so loving and understanding." she said with a slightly shaky voice.

Lena smiled and gave Kara's body a gentle squeeze. "Always," she kissed Kara's temple as she withdrew and their gazes locked together.

They smiled at each other and leaned in at the same time to make their lips meet in a soft kiss at first.

Lena simply enjoyed the closeness she had with the woman she loved as she let Kara choose the pace in which they were going to move tonight. A quiet moan escaped her when she felt Kara's tongue on her lower lip until she gently slid it into her mouth.

Kara encouraged Lena to lay down again and placed herself as she was before, atop Lena as their mouth were still joined in a kiss that quickly became scorching.

Kara sucked at Lena's bottom lip until she began kissing her jawline and her chin before lowering her kisses to ravish every inch of her chest.

Lena gasped and tangled one hand into Kara's hair.

Kara smiled against Lena's soft skin and trailed kisses to her stomach. She brought her fingers to the waistband of Lena's pants and waited for a couple of seconds.

"You can take it off." Lena said before Kara even got the time to ask.

Kara smiled and tugged the pants down before pulling out the wet black cotton panties. She lowered her head to give steamy kisses to Lena's thighs.

"What do you want?" Kara whispered in a sultry tone that surprised Lena, punctuating her question with a kiss on Lena's hip.

Lena shuddered and gasped before exhaling, "Right now, I would like for you to be as naked as I am."

Kara let out a chuckle, "Got it." She pulled her pants down, tugging her underwear at the same time before sliding up to face her girlfriend and beaming at her while she caressed her skin. "Happy?"

Lena looked up and down, surveying Kara's body, her mouth going dry and a wave of moisture pooling from between her tights at the sight displayed atop her. She gulped, feeling a smoldering desire spread through her. She nodded her head and gazed at her girlfriend, bringing her hands to Kara's chest and stroking her breasts.

Kara smiled and leaned down to capture Lena's lips with her own. She moaned against Lena's lips when she began kneading her breasts more firmly.

Their tongue mingled slowly as their lips glided together.

Lena withdrew from the kiss and gasped when Kara pressed her thigh against her center.

Kara smiled as she gently but firmly thrust her thigh against Lena's center again while she leaned down to scatter kisses on her chest until she wrapped her lips around a hard nipple and began sucking it, drawing out a pleased moan from Lena. She switched her attention to the other breast and took the sensitive nub into her mouth as she gently pinched the other.

Lena's breathing quickened as her chest heaved, "If you keep doing that I'm not gonna last long... I..." Her sentence was cut off when Kara snuck her hand between their bodies and began running her fingers into Lena's soaked folds as she released her nipple and slid up to face her. She exhaled before letting pleased hums escape her.

"You're so beautiful, Lena." Kara said awestruck.

Lena wanted to come up with a good reply and tell Kara how much she was beautiful and how much she loved her, but right now, at this very moment, her brain didn't seem to have the ability to come up with a coherent thought, let alone, a coherent sentence. All she could was moan when Kara began rubbing her thumb on her clit before gently lunging a finger into her overflowing center.

Although she struggled to think, Lena managed to slither a hand and bring it between Kara's thighs, feeling another wave of arousal spike through her at the feeling of the heated moisture she was met with and the realization that being intimate with her was the thing that caused Kara to feel so aroused.

"Lena," Kara gasped.

"Is that okay?" Lena asked.

"Yeah," Kara breathed out and moaned when Lena slowly slid two fingers into her center and started fast circles on her nub with her thumb. She plunged another finger into Lena and kept rubbing her clit, feeling Lena's inner walls clench around her fingers as she brought her closer to her release. Kara could feel from the pulsing between her own thighs that she wouldn't last long either.

Their free hands joined and they entwined their fingers together while these last four years of growing feelings and building passions led them to quickly feel the most intense mind-blowing orgasm they had ever felt.

Their bodies went slack and they fell quietly on the mattress, facing each other, their heads resting on the same pillow as a loving grin spread on their faces. Their hands were still joined and they held on tight.

They leaned forward at the same time to connect their lips in a soft kiss, their lips glided together as they wordlessly conveyed their love for each other and felt happier than they had ever been.


	5. Stronger Together (Part 1)

Game night was being held tonight at Kara's loft. No matter what was going on around them, it was important for everyone to still find some quiet time to live peaceful moments in which no one brought up the threat ahead of them. And as usual, game night was the best way to bring everyone together.

While waiting for everyone to arrive, Kara was sitting on the couch, working on her laptop and Lena was finishing to put all the snacks she had bought on the coffee table. She stared at the table full of food and realized that she may have bought too much. But that didn't matter, she wanted everything to be perfect and for everyone to have a good time which was why she had bought everyone's favorite thing.

She sat down beside Kara on the couch and gently closed her laptop.

"No work related stuff tonight, darling." she said.

Kara spun her head to her girlfriend and nodded with a smile before putting her laptop away.

"Well, what can I do until the family arrives?" Kara asked with mischievous eyes, having a clear idea of what she wanted to do.

Lena smirked, "I may have an idea." She cupped Kara's cheeks and connected their lips in a soft kiss.

Kara brought her hands to Lena's shoulders and deepened the kiss before pulling back. "Are you okay with telling everyone that we're dating?"

"Of course," Lena smiled. "Haven't you told Alex already?"

"I told her what I feel for you a couple of days ago. But I haven't told her that I had the guts to tell it to you. And I have a hard time keeping something from her. Especially something that makes me so happy. But I wanted to check with you if that was okay to talk about us."

"That's more than okay, Kara." Lena smiled and put a hand to Kara's cheek, stroking it softly. "I don't want to hide what's between us."

"Me neither," Kara beamed, taking Lena's hand in hers and kissing her palm.

"Then we'll tell everyone tonight. In the meantime..." She drawled and trailed off.

Kara smirked and wrapped her arms around Lena, pulling her atop her as she settled on her back.

Lena tugged her own bottom lip between her teeth and looked deeply at her girlfriend.

"You are so beautiful, Kara. I don't know how I am so lucky for being the one you love." she said, quite awestruck at being loved by Kara the way she had always wanted to.

Kara's face lit up with a loving beaming smile. She put a hand to Lena's cheek and caressed it softly. "I wonder how I am so lucky every time I'm with you."

Lena smiled and leaned down, capturing Kara's lips with her own before sliding her tongue into her mouth as her hands began trailing down Kara's body.

Kara moaned into the kiss and pulled Lena closer to her, one of her hands was tangled into Lena's hair and the other was running down her back, slithering under the shirt and making contact with the soft warm bare skin.

Breathless, Lena withdrew from the kiss and started scattering kisses on Kara's neck. She sucked at Kara's pulse point, and drew out a moan from Kara. Lena smiled against her girlfriend's skin and lowered her kisses to the skin she could reach around Kara's cleavage.

Too lost into each other, Kara and Lena didn't hear the front door opening, neither did they hear the footsteps indicating that someone walked into the loft until they heard a thud on the floor.

With a jump, Kara and Lena pulled away from each other and scrambled to their feet, facing Alex and Kelly.

Kelly had an amused smile on her face while Alex seemed quite shocked and outraged.

"I guess the cat is out of the bag." Lena said quietly to Kara.

"I guess so," Kara blushed, rather embarrassed to have been caught making out with her girlfriend.

Alex crouched and picked up the bag she had dropped. She stood up. "Kara, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Uh, sure." Kara stepped closer to her sister.

Alex gently seized her sister's arm and tugged them around the kitchen island.

Lena and Kelly still faced each other.

Lena wasn't sure what to say, but Kelly smiled and looked fondly at her, which quickly put her at ease.

"Am I gonna have the shovel talk?" Lena asked.

"Definitely," Kelly answered with a smile. "But don't worry. Alex may look scary sometimes, especially when she wants to protect Kara. But she's a big softie inside. Besides she knows how much you mean to Kara. I'm happy for you both by the way."

"Thanks," Lena smiled.

Around the kitchen island, Kara hadn't fully recovered from the embarrassment of having been caught making out with Lena and waited for her sister to start speaking.

"Kara, what was that?" Alex asked.

"I think you know what it was." Kara slightly looked down before looking up.

"Are you and Lena together?" Alex asked with a smile.

"Yeah," Kara's face lit up as she answered.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It happened only three days ago and I still struggle to realize that it's all real. And it's even better than I thought. Lena is so..."

"I'm beyond happy for you both, Kara, but I don't need details. I could never forget what I just saw. I think it's been printed in my mind forever."

"Sorry about that." Kara blushed slightly. "But perhaps you should always knock from now on if you want to avoid seeing this again."

"Deal," Alex said with a nod of her head. "I need to talk to Lena." She began heading to Lena who was sitting on the couch, talking with Kelly.

Kara grabbed her sister's arm and tried to hold her back. "Alex, please."

"I gotta fulfill my big sister duties."

"Fine," Kara relented with a sigh and let go of Alex's arm.

"Lena, can I talk to you?" Alex asked.

Lena nodded and rose from the couch. Alex waved at her to follow her further.

"Don't use your super-hearing, Kara." Alex said.

"I live in a loft, Alex. I don't need super-hearing to hear everything."

"Anyway," Alex shrugged. "I need to talk to your girlfriend in private."

Kara plopped on the armchair. "I hope Alex is not gonna make Lena run away from me." She let out a small sigh.

Kelly smiled, "I don't think anything could make you run away from each other."

"I don't think so either." Kara's face lit up and her heart swelled with love.

At the opposite side of the loft, Alex crossed her arms over her chest and looked sternly at Lena.

"So, what are your intentions with my sister?" she asked.

"I love her." Lena said and Alex's look softened at these words while she uncrossed her arms.

"I love her more than I thought it was possible to love someone," Lena continued. "I've been loving Kara for a very long time and I won't blame you if my actions make you doubt this fact. I know I screwed up. I'm still working on forgiving myself for that and I'm getting there even though I will always regret what I did. But I promise you that I will do my best to never hurt her. I will do anything I can to protect Kara and love her like she deserves to be loved. I want to make her happy. I want to make her feel safe and loved."

Lena grew quiet after her speech and Alex stayed silent as well until she let out a sigh.

"How am I supposed to threaten you after you said all that?"

Lena let out a chuckle. "I don't know. But I promise you that you have nothing to worry about."

"I know. And I don't doubt your feelings for Kara. Yes, you screwed up, but so did Kara. Actually, I think we have all screwed up and I am sorry for that."

Lena furrowed her brow. "What are you sorry for?"

"For keeping you in the dark about Kara being Supergirl. It was her secret to tell. But we all lied to you. I'm sorry for that. I'm very glad you're officially part of the team now, I think you're gonna spare us a lot of trouble." Alex chuckled.

"I'll do my best." Lena smiled.

Alex and Lena headed back to the living-room with a smile on their faces. Alex went to sit beside Kelly and put her arms around her. Kelly smiled and kissed her temple as she pulled Alex closer to her.

Kara and Lena shared a look and a smile. Kara took Lena's hands in hers as she silently encouraged her to sit on her lap. Lena wrapped her arms around Kara's shoulders as she sat down on her lap. Kara kissed softly Lena's cheek and they rested their foreheads together.

A knock at the door disrupted the peaceful atmosphere the two couples were in.

A little while later, Brainy, Nia, J'onn and M'gann were there and Kara and Lena were ready to tell them that they were a couple.

"So, Lena and I have something to tell you." Kara said and blushed slightly.

As they were sitting on the couch, Lena put her hand to Kara's thigh and stroked it softly as she gave her a smile.

Kara smiled at Lena and cleared her throat when she turned to the others. "So, Lena and I have become closer these past weeks and it turns out that we have found out... Well, we have finally... I mean, I told Lena..." She looked at Lena, silently asking her to find a right way to put things into words.

"We are dating," Lena simply said with a smile. "And we're very happy and very much in love."

"My OTP is finally canon. I've never been happier." Nia beamed.

Lena looked at her with a slightly confused expression on her face.

Nia smiled and waved her hand. "I'll teach you what all that means later," she told Lena.

"Okay," Lena smiled.

"I still haven't understood what all that means myself no matter how many times she tried to explain it to me." Brainy said.

Nia smiled and leaned in to kiss her boyfriend's cheek. "All you have to understand is that it's true love."

"Alright," Brainy said. "I cannot say that I am surprised with this announcement though."

"I don't think any of us are." M'gann smiled.

"Definitely not." J'onn nodded.

"Well, you two are mind-readers, of course you knew." Alex said with a little smile.

"We never read minds without being given permission first." J'onn replied with a little nod.

"But that doesn't mean we can't pick up some vibes without even trying." M'gann added.

"What do you mean?" Kara asked.

M'gann smiled, "Well, let's just say that some feelings are so strong that it makes psychics like J'onn and I feel some waves even though we're not trying anything to make that happen. And with two people who have such a strong connection like you two have, it's hard to ignore it."

"Exactly," J'onn nodded. "It works even though we cannot read Kryptonian's minds."

"Oh, I always forget about that." Kara said.

"Okay. But can I just say that we don't need to be psychics to feel this connection? These two are meant to be and I think we all can be agreed with this, right?" Alex pointed at Kara and Lena who were slightly blushing.

"Yup!" Nia nodded happily.

"Anyway, how about we start making the team for tonight?" Kara suggested, happy to have the support of their family but not wanting the night to be about them.

"Let's do this," Alex said, already willing to fight for the win.

Kara and Lena were both captain of their teams. Lena's team was formed with Brainy, M'gann and Kelly while Kara's was formed with Alex, J'onn and Nia.

Both teams worked extremely well together, which gave them some ideas for how they could work together in more serious situations.

Eventually, Lena's team won, and although Alex became a bit insufferable from losing, Kara couldn't be prouder of her girlfriend.

"Let's team up by couple, shall we?" Kara trotted up to sit close beside Lena.

Lena wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and kissed her temple before giving her a beaming smile.

M'gann let out a small sigh. "I think none of us stand a chance against these two."

"I agree," J'onn smiled.

Indeed, Kara and Lena won without any difficulty. But no one minded, not even Alex who was known to be a sore loser. She knew how much it meant for Kara to finally have found her perfect partner at game night and she couldn't be happier to see her sister being so happy with the woman she loved.

At the end of the night, everyone was about to help Kara and Lena clean up the place. Kara thanked them, but told them that it wasn't necessary. Her super-speed could clean everything up in less than the blink of an eye.

Everyone left after they all exchanged _good night_. And true to Kara's words, Lena barely got the time to blink before Kara cleaned everything up.

Kara sauntered closer to Lena and smiled as she wrapped her arms around her waist. "Now we can focus on the good stuff."

Lena put her arms around Kara's shoulders and quirked an eyebrow, "Which is?"

"A lot of cuddles on the couch for starters," Kara said and led them to the couch as Lena laughed.

They sat down close to each other. Lena was almost sitting on Kara's lap and Kara put her arms around her as she pulled her even closer. Kara kissed Lena's temple and Lena held on tight to Kara as she nestled deeper into the embrace.

They stayed in a comfortable silence for a while, just basking into each other's warmth.

"I wish things never change." Lena said quietly.

"Why would they?" Kara kissed softly Lena's head.

"I don't know, I just... things are going a bit too well these days and I can't stop wondering when it's gonna get bad again. Lex is still out there and I find it weird that he hasn't tried anything to bring me down since that day in my office."

"Perhaps he finally understood that you're stronger and smarter than him and that he will never bring you down." Kara carded her fingers through Lena's hair in a soothing motion.

"Or perhaps he finally understood that my worst fear is for him to come after the people I love. If one of you gets hurt because of me I..." Lena stopped her thoughts to go further and focused on the comfort Kara was giving her.

"Lena, look at me, please." Kara put her hand to Lena's cheek, gently encouraging her to look up.

Lena looked up and met Kara's loving gaze.

Kara caressed softly Lena's cheek. "If one of us gets hurt, that wouldn't be because of you. As I already told you, you're not responsible for what Lex is doing. You are your own person, Lena. All you can do is stay true to yourself and fight for what you believe in." She leaned in and gave a loving kiss to Lena's lips. "But the fear of someone you love getting hurt because you is something that I understand. Because although I know that the way people choose to act is beyond my control, I'm always terrified that something happen to the people I love. I'm always afraid of not being able to save those that matter the most to me. I could never forgive myself if that happened. And I'm also scared of what Lex is planning… But I'm very much less afraid when I know you're on my side. Because when I think about what we went through this year and where we are today, I know that together we can conquer anything. Besides, we're not alone. We have an amazing team of superheroes behind us. I can't explain why, Lena, but I can feel in my heart that everything is going to be okay. We are stronger together and I know that nothing can tear us apart."

Lena smiled. "Thank you for being hopeful, darling. You really make me feel that everything's gonna be okay."

"You're welcome. You're the one who gives me that hope if I'm being honest." Kara said.

Lena furrowed her brow, "How so?"

"I'm not sure. But what I do know is that I haven't felt very hopeful before you and I made up with each other. I tried not to show how much I've felt downcast. I tried to keep saving the day as everyone expected me to do so. But when you were missing from my life, I have the feeling that my hope was missing too. As if my heart wasn't beating the same way."

Lena placed softly her palm on Kara's chest and felt the steady beats of her heart as her gaze was deep on Kara. "You will never have to go through this again. I promise you. I'm in your life to stay, Kara Zor-El Danvers."

Her eyes sightly welling up with tears, Kara put her hand over Lena's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I wouldn't want to have it any other way."

Smiling, Lena straightened her stance and put her other hand to Kara's cheek, caressing it softly as she leaned in to connect their lips in a loving kiss that conveyed how much she was planning to stay on Kara's life for as long as Kara wanted her. And from the way Kara responded to her kiss, Lena could feel that Kara wanted her to stay forever.

They rested their foreheads together and basked in the peaceful moment they were being granted, savoring every second of it and not thinking about what would happen next.

* * *

The thing they had all dreaded arrived without a warning.

It was the morning, Lena was in her lab with Kara. Lena had made some upgrade on Supergirl suit and made it safer so that it would protect her better against whatever enemies she would have to face.

A couple of days ago, she had also taken the time to upgrade everyone's suit and made easier for them to come back from their superheroes duties without a scratch.

"I really love that my girlfriend is a genius." Kara smiled and wrapped her arms around Lena.

"For my peace of mind, I'm also happy to be a genius. This way I can protect my favorite hero." She looked lovingly at Kara.

"You are my hero, Lena Luthor." Kara beamed and kissed Lena's lips until she kissed the freckle of Lena's throat and began sucking softly the warm skin there.

Lena gasped, "Kara."

"Hum?" Kara hummed against Lena's skin and kept caressing it with her lips.

"Don't start something we cannot finish," Lena breathed out even though she was more than tempted to let her girlfriend have her way with her right there.

"You know I have super-speed." Kara smirked into the crook of Lena's neck and sucked at her pulse point until she soothed the skin with a soft licking.

Lena felt her eyes rolling back behind her closed eyelids when she thought about the few times Kara used her powers on her while they were intimate. Having Kara kissing her sensitive skin didn't help her to want to stop what they were doing, especially when Kara lowered her kisses and began kissing at her cleavage. Lena allowed herself to get lost in the moment until she remembered where they were and that someone could come in at any moment.

"Do you really want your sister to walk on us?" Lena managed to utter, knowing that it was the sentence that would give Kara the strength to pull away.

As soon as the words left Lena's mouth, Kara stopped what she was doing and straightened her stance before smoothing her cape. "Thank you for sparing us this embarrassment."

Lena let out a laugh that was cut off when Nia rushed breathless into the lab.

"What happens?" Kara stepped closer to her friend, and worries began swirling through her, making her feel uneasy.

"Brainy and I found out what Lex is planning on doing." Nia said.

At hearing these words, Kara felt as though a chunk of Kryptonite had been plunged into her and seeped through every fiber of her being. She was at loss of words and didn't react for long seconds, until she felt Lena sliding one of her hands into hers and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"What is he planning?" Kara finally found her voice.

"He's planning to turn himself into a god." Brainy said as he walked into the lab. "Using the bottle he stole from me when I stopped Leviathan." Guilt crossed his features as he spoke.

Nia put a hand to Brainy's shoulder. "That's not your fault. You saved all of us."

"Is Lillian helping him?" Lena asked, doing her best to keep her calm, knowing that staying calm was the best way of winning this fight.

"Yes. I had a dream and I saw them together. I don't know where they are exactly. It's a place I'd never seen before." Nia said. "It's a dark old hideout. It kinda looks like a labyrinth."

"Kara, is your article ready?" Lena asked.

"Yes," Kara sighed. "But perhaps we should wait..."

"We can't wait anymore." Lena said. "I can find him using the tracking device I made."

"You're not planning to do anything on your own, are you?" Kara asked worriedly.

"No, Kara. We are all in this together." Lena said determined.

"Stronger together." Kara smiled slightly.

"Exactly." Lena said and pulled Kara in a soft kiss even though they weren't alone. She wanted to tell Kara how much she believed in them and tell her not to worry.

"Okay," Kara exhaled. "What do we do?"

Kara, Nia and Brainy looked at Lena, which made her understand that they were waiting for her to come up with the beginning of the plan.

"Kara, get your article published. Nia, I need your help finding Lex. And in case Lex has already been successful, I need to make a serum to reverse the process. Can you help me with that, Brainy?"

"Sure," he said and stepped closer.

* * *

At the tower, Kara walked back into Lena's lab. Alex, J'onn and M'gann were there. Lena and Brainy were working on making the serum. Nia was fast asleep in front of the screen displaying numerous locations in National City.

"Is everything okay?" Kara asked and stepped closer to Lena.

"Yeah," Lena said. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be better once Lex and Lillian are behind bars." Kara replied with honesty.

"Hopefully it'll be soon." Lena said.

"You seem oddly calm," Kara pointed out, her brow slightly furrowing.

"I have to be calm. Otherwise I won't be able to get anything done." Lena said. "Besides, I really do believe that no one can stand a chance against all of us. If we all stand strong, it's gonna be all right, I can feel it."

Kara smiled at Lena's determination, it helped her feel more at ease with what was going on.

Nia woke up with a start. "I got them." She stood up and everyone rushed to her.

"Where are they?" Lena asked, her eyes deep on the screen.

Nia pointed at the screen. "There. Do you know this place?"

"No, I have no idea why he would hide there." Lena said. "Brainy, is the serum ready?"

Brainy picked up a sample. "Yes."

Lena exhaled, "Then I guess it's time we stop playing hide-and-seek, brother." She looked deeply at the screen, somehow eager to face her brother, knowing that she had once again outsmarted him without him seeing it coming. "Let's go." she said, her determination stronger than ever.

* * *

"This place is literally a labyrinth," Alex sighed. "How are we supposed to find Lex?"

"We should split up." M'gann suggested.

"I'm not very appealed with this plan," Kara said, looking all around her and using her x-ray vision. "And the place is lined with lead, of course." She sighed.

"Now I understand why he would hide there," Lena said. "M'gann's right. We should split up, but no one should be alone though."

"Alright," Kara conceded. "Alex and Lena, come with me, please."

Alex and Lena smiled slightly and began following Kara. M'gann and J'onn took off in another direction while Brainy and Nia went to the opposite direction.

Kara walked a little ahead of Alex and Lena and looked everywhere, still trying to use her x-ray vision to find something even though the entire place seemed lined with lead.

"You okay?" Alex quietly asked Lena.

"As okay as I can be," Lena said calmly. "I'm mainly worried for Kara. She spends so much time taking care of everyone that she always forgets to take care of herself."

"And that's why I'm glad she has you to take care of her."

Lena gave Alex a smile.

Something caught Kara's attention. She stopped walking, "Wait, I heard something."

Lena and Alex stood at each side of Kara, trying to figure out what had caught her attention.

Kara's brow was furrowed as she seemed to listen something that Lena and Alex couldn't hear given the fact that they didn't have super-hearing.

"This way," Kara pointed at a direction and began walking with determination, quickly followed by Alex and Lena.

The way led to a small gray door.

Kara stopped walking and exhaled. "Lillian is here."

Lena shuffled past Alex and Kara and put her hand on the doorknob.

Kara put her hand over Lena's, gently stopping her from pulling the door open. "Wait," she whispered as quietly as she could.

"We don't have time to wait." Lena said in a hushed whisper. "Lex has probably gotten the time to do what he wanted and we gotta stop him before he gets the time to destroy the world."

"Fair enough," Kara conceded and pulled her hand away from Lena's.

Lena kissed softly Kara's cheek, wanting to ease her worries away. She pulled the door open and walked into a large white room, in which the atmosphere felt as cold as ice.

Lillian was standing in front of a huge panel and it was obvious that a lot of experiments had taken place there recently.

"Lena, I was wondering when you would come to ruin the fun." Lillian said nonchalantly.

Kara was about to place herself in front of Lena until she thought about the fact that Lena had told her once that she didn't want to look like a damsel in distress in front of Lex and Lillian and needed to stand strong in front of them. That's why she chose to stand at Lena's side instead while Alex placed herself on Lena's other side.

"I see you brought your bodyguards with you." Lillian said in a mocking tone.

"I brought my family with me." Lena said, not looking scared or intimidated at all.

"You pushed away your own family, Lena." Lillian said, her tone sharp.

"Where is Lex?" Lena asked, wanting to cut off the useless conversation.

"Why? Do you miss him?"

"I'm here to stop him." Lena said, her strength and determination not wavering.

"It's too late. He has already become the best version of himself. A true god will finally take over this world."

Lena scoffed, "I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you."

From a hidden entrance, Lex appeared with a smirk, looking as he always did. But something about him felt different. A new energy emanated from him and sent shivers run up and down Lena's spine. She didn't show it though, and looked at him without flinching.

Kara stood closer to Lena and resisted her urge to beat up Lex. She knew it was mainly Lena's fight. She knew Lena needed to be the one to bring him down to feel at peace with what she had gone through.

"I missed you, sis." He smirked.

"I can't say the same thing about you." Lena said, standing strong as she tried to ignore the nausea sweeping through her at seeing Lex.

Smirking widely, Lex held up his palms and shoot up a blast of electricity through them, unexpectedly knocking out Alex and Kara.

"Now we can have a real family reunion, without any aliens and false heroes standing between us." he said proud of himself while Lena crouched beside Kara and Alex, anxiety swirling through her and threatening to make her throw up until she checked their pulse and relief washed over her.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was looking at her anymore, Lillian pushed out the wall and used an hidden passage to make her way out of the room.

Lena stood up and looked deep at her brother. "Why are you doing this, Lex?"

"My plan has always been to rule humanity, Lena. I have finally found a way to do it."

"You're crazy."

"I'm a god," he smirked, stepping closer to his sister. "We could have done this together, you know. That's always been my plan, to have you by my side as we rule over the world. I wanted you by my side. You would have been a great asset."

"I will never be like you, Lex. I would rather die."

Lex smirked. "I was hoping you would say that." He grabbed Lena and tugged on her arm before forcefully pushing her against the wall, making her wince. He held up a hand and used his new powers to keep her in place while with his other hand, he grabbed a gun.

Lena wheezed, struggling to breathe. "Wouldn't it be quicker to kill me using your powers?"

"But that wouldn't be as fun. See that as a payback for what you did to me." He pointed the gun at her and smirked, as usual, too proud of himself.

Despite the tears that wanted to make their way out, Lena kept standing strong in front of Lex. What broke her heart the most was she fact that she was going to leave Kara behind, but no matter what she felt, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She glanced down at the floor, seeing Kara and Alex lying unconscious, she only hoped they could make it out of here alive. She wished with all her might that her family would be safe and sound. And she hoped that Kara would find again the love and happiness she deserved. She glanced up at Lex and looked at him without flinching as he pulled the trigger, throwing bullets at her.

But once again, to her surprise, she didn't see her whole life flashing in front of her. She only saw red and blue flashing in front of her before finding herself being wrapped in Supergirl's cape, shielded from the bullets. She could feel Kara holding tight onto her and she knew that she was safe, that they were all going to make it out of here okay. She exhaled and breathed Kara's scent for a quick second until Kara kissed her forehead and stepped back.

Using her super-speed, Kara grabbed Lex by the collar of his shirt, slamming him against the wall, eliciting a groan from him. She held him firmly in place as she tried to resist her urge to beat him up, knowing that no matter how tempting it was at this very moment, she couldn't lower herself to his pathetic level. She didn't want that and she knew that Lena didn't want that either.

Too flabbergasted by what was happening, Lex couldn't even think about what kind of powers he could use to get the upper hand on Supergirl.

Reacting as quickly as Kara did, Lena pulled out the syringe from her coat and jabbed it into Lex's neck, pouring the entire contents of the serum into his system and erasing any powers he had gained, leaving him completely human.

"What did you do?" he croaked out as he felt his strength and powers leaving him and making him feel weaker than ever.

"I'm always ten steps ahead. You should know that by now." Lena smiled.

"Just like you should know that truth and justice always prevail and that love is what makes us strong. Therefore, the pathetic little shit you are will never win." Kara said.

"You will regret this. I will have my revenge on you both. I will set the world in..." Lex was cut off when a strong fist made contact with his jaw, making him fall unconscious on the floor.

Surprised, Lena and Kara looked at their side to see Alex standing beside them, looking extremely satisfied with herself.

"No, I won't apologize for doing that. I really needed to." Alex said.

Kara and Lena let out a chuckle. They looked at each other, sharing a smile as their hands joined.

"Go find the others. I'll make sure he stays unconscious until the authorities get there." Alex said.

"Alex," Kara started, not really comfortable with the idea of letting her sister alone with Lex Luthor.

"I'll be fine, seriously. I'm stronger than him." Alex said.

"We are all stronger than him." Lena smiled.

"Damn right." Kara grinned.

* * *

Outside the dark old hideout, Kara, Lena, Alex, Brainy, Nia, J'onn and M'gann watched as Lex was being dragged away by the authorities.

Lex's furious gaze met Brainy's.

Brainy gave him a smirk and a wave of his hand, which increased the anger in Lex's eyes. He felt at peace with what happened and knew that he could stop feeling guilty for his past mistakes. He knew he wasn't alone and that he was loved. He looked at Nia standing beside him and smiled at her as he pulled her closer to him.

Nia smiled and wrapped her arms around Brainy.

"I'm gonna call Kelly and tell her that we are all okay." Alex said and stepped a little away from the group. She took out her phone and dialed Kelly's number, feeling herself relax in anticipation of hearing her girlfriend's voice.

"Do I have to get used to this kind of mission?" M'gann asked J'onn.

"Unless you plan to leave us," he said.

"Never," she shook her head with a smile on her face.

He smiled and put an arm around her, kissing softly her cheek and making her smile widen.

Wrapped into Kara's arms, Lena exhaled shakily.

"You all right?" Kara kissed Lena's temple and rubbed softly her back.

"Lillian got away," she sighed.

"We'll get her." Kara said determined.

"I know," Lena breathed out. "I just wish everything could have been over today."

"I know, love, me too. But let's focus on today's victory, all right?"

"All right," Lena nodded.

Kara tightened her embrace around Lena and pulled her even closer.

Lena nestled deeper into Kara's embrace. "I love you, Kara."

"I love you too." Kara smiled and leaned in to kiss softly Lena's lips.

"Can we go home?" Lena asked hopeful.

"Yeah," Kara nodded with a smile.

"Wait," Alex's voice came from behind them. "I hate breaking this moment. But I really would like for everyone to have a check up at the Tower and make sure you are all okay."

Lena turned to Alex and smiled. "We can do that."

"Thanks," Alex said and began leading the way.

Kara and Lena slid their hands together as they followed the rest of the group, eager to be as far away as possible from the place they had lived some of the worst hours of their lives in and longing to be in the place they felt the safest, wrapped into each other's arms.

But despite the stressful day they had lived, their hearts were lighter than they had been in a while.


	6. Stronger Together (Part 2)

It was already late in the night when they arrived at the Tower.

Kelly was there, waiting for them.

Alex rushed to her girlfriend and put her arms around her, pulling her in an embrace she had been needed to feel for hours.

"I was so worried about you." Kelly said.

Alex slightly withdrew and smiled, "You know I can't be brought down that easily."

"I know," Kelly smiled. "You're a badass."

"I got knocked out by a blast of electricity though."

"Okay, let's get you checked first."

"I'm fine, really. I think the upgrade Lena made on my suit actually saved my life."

Kelly turned to Lena and smiled at her, "Remind me to buy you dinner to thank you."

Lena gave her a smile but everyone could see that her mind was elsewhere.

Kelly led Alex to the med bay and sat her down on a bed.

"Are you really okay, babe?" Kelly asked.

"Yes. I promise." Alex took Kelly's hand in hers and kissed it. "How are you?"

"I've been worried all day but now I'm fine." Kelly smiled and looked lovingly at Alex.

Feeling herself relax completely, Alex put her arms around her girlfriend and they stayed wrapped into each other's arms for long minutes.

Nia, Brainy, J'onn, M'gann and Kara got checked up next, and despite a heavy exhaustion, they were all fine and more than ready to go home and get some rest.

Kara stayed at Lena's side while Alex checked her up for eventual injuries.

"How are you feeling?" Alex asked.

"I'm feeling a little sore," Lena answered with honesty.

"Where?"

"Everywhere. I'm just tired. I think I've never been so tired," the tone of her voice showed her deep exhaustion.

"Get her home, Kara." Alex said.

"You sure?" Kara asked.

"Yeah. I think only a good night of sleep will help." Alex nodded before making her way out of the room.

Lena sat up and rubbed her tired neck as she let out a sigh.

"You ready?" Kara put a hand to Lena's thigh and stroked it softly.

"To go home and spend the night wrapped in your arms? Yeah. That feels like heaven." Lena smiled.

Kara's heart swelled with love when Lena referred to her loft as _their home_. She realized that perhaps that meant Lena was ready to officially move in with her, because she really wanted to and not only for her protection. But she knew that it wasn't the right time to bring up this subject. And she was more than okay to spend the night taking care of her girlfriend and making her feel safe and loved.

She slid her hand into Lena's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Let's go."

Lena entwined her fingers with Kara's and jumped off the bed. "Can you fly us home?" she asked as they made their way out of the room.

"Of course," Kara smiled and led them to the balcony.

She safely wrapped her arms around Lena and picked her up to carry her bridal-style, holding on tight to her as Lena put her arms around Kara's shoulders and pressed her face into the crook of her neck, taking in the feeling of warmth coursing through her at the love she felt.

Kara smiled and kissed the top of Lena's head. She tightened her grip on her and made sure Lena was as comfortable as possible before taking off in the night sky of National City.

* * *

When they arrived at home, Kara gently put Lena down on the floor but kept holding on tight to her, making sure she was steady on her feet.

"You okay?" Kara kissed softly Lena's temple.

"Yeah," Lena loosened her grip on Kara and got dizzy. Her knees buckled and she could feel herself getting sick. "I just need to throw up." She quickly rushed to the bathroom.

Worried about Lena, Kara followed her and found her girlfriend kneeling in front of the toilet. She ran up to her and pulled Lena's hair back as she leaned over and threw up. Kara rubbed soft circles over Lena's back and whispered comforting words.

Lena flushed the toilet and pulled away, without moving from her kneeling position, looking sweaty and shaky. She crawled on the bathroom floor to lean her back against the wall. She exhaled heavily, looking completely exhausted.

Kara grabbed a washcloth and wet it with some cold water. She knelt in front of Lena and softly rubbed her face with the washcloth.

Lena closed her eyes as she let Kara taking care of her. "Thank you," she said, her eyes fluttering open on her girlfriend.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have flown that fast." Kara slightly furrowed her brow.

Lena let out a small chuckle. "It has nothing to do with your flying skills, Kara. I needed to do that since I saw Lex's smirking face. I feel better now." She got up and went to the sink, rinsing her mouth for long minutes.

Kara stood behind Lena, rubbing soothing motions on her back.

Lena let out a sigh as she turned off the water. She spun around to face Kara and the events of the day began swirling through her, making her body shake again.

Kara stepped closer and wrapped her arms tight around her girlfriend, pulling her in an embrace that she hoped would soothe her overwhelming emotions.

"It's okay, Lena. You're okay. We are all okay." she whispered. "I love you. I love you so much."

They stayed like this for a while, Lena holding onto Kara with all her might and Kara gently stroking her and whispering soothing words into her ear.

Once the shaking of her body subsided, Lena slightly withdrew but was still standing close to Kara. She was looking down though.

Kara rubbed softly Lena's shoulders as she still held on to her, wanting her girlfriend to feel that she wasn't alone. She leaned forward and pressed a loving kiss to Lena's forehead before sliding her hands up to Lena's cheeks and caressing them slowly.

"Thank you for saving me again." Lena finally looked up, her eyes were glassy with tears and that sight broke Kara's heart.

"I will always be there for you, Lena. I promised you that and I meant it." Kara said softly.

Tears rolled down Lena's cheeks and Kara wiped them with gentleness.

"Hopefully you won't have to save me from my psychopath of brother anymore." Lena sighed. "I will upgrade the security system of the prison this time. This way I'm sure he won't get out. I already talked to the authorities about that. They weren't wary towards me, that feels weird."

"Why?"

"The first time... I mean, when Lex declared war on Superman, most people thought I was with him, that I was helping him somehow. Even though I testified against him at his trial, that didn't stop the rest of the world from thinking that I was just another Luthor who would snap sooner or later and terrorize the world while trying to take over it. I can't quite explain why, but what happened today, that gives me the feeling that things are gonna be different for me. That it'll be better." She exhaled. "Thank you for what you did today, I appreciate that you respected my wish not to look like a damsel in distress in front of Lex and Lillian. Although having you stand by my side made me feel safer while I confronted them."

"You are the strongest person I know, Lena. I knew you could do this."

"But I would be dead if you hadn't been there."

"How do you feel about what happened back there? You know when..." She trailed off.

"You mean how do I feel about the fact that my own brother aimed a gun at me and pulled the trigger, smirking as though he had won some kind of game?"

Kara winced. "Yeah."

"I would like to say I'm surprised, but I'm not. I know I kind of did the same thing to him about over a year ago, but I didn't feel proud of myself while doing it."

"That's because you're good, Lena. You didn't shoot Lex because you wanted to win some kind of game. You did what you thought was right. You wanted to save the world from him. You wanted to protect the people you love."

"You know that's funny, a while ago, I would have been freaking out about turning out like him. But not now. I know I'm nothing like him or Lillian. I'm not ashamed of being a Luthor anymore. I finally understood that just because Lex and Lillian chose to be shitty people, that doesn't mean I will inevitably turn bad myself. I know that I won't. I can choose what kind of person I want to be, and I realize now... I don't hate myself anymore."

Kara let out a loud relieved sigh and held on tight to Lena's shoulders. "If you knew how long I've been waiting for you to feel this way."

Lena let out a chuckle. "I'm sorry, I'm a little slow sometimes."

"Well, even geniuses are allowed to need some time. What matters is that you're finally starting to see yourself for who you really are." Kara smiled. "Thank you for saving the world by the way."

"We still have to catch Lillian though." Lena reminded.

"Do you think you could update your device to track her? I know it tracks people through their DNA and Lillian doesn't share your DNA."

"I found a piece of her DNA on her hairbrush, so I will easily work something out."

"How did you get your hand on her hairbrush?" Kara slightly furrowed her brow.

"She was in such a hurry when she ran away that she hasn't taken her purse with her. I went back inside while the authorities caught Lex. And I found her hairbrush with her name engraved on the handle, it's the same she always had. I will start working on that tomorrow. Do you think you could write an article on her, to give even more proof that she was working with Lex?"

"I already started thinking about it." Kara nodded.

Lena smiled, putting her arms around her girlfriend and pulling her closer. "We really make a great team, Kara Zor-El Danvers."

Kara let out a chuckle. "Sure, we do, we always had and we always will."

"Can we take a shower now? And I really mean just a shower. No matter how much I want to, I don't have the energy for more tonight. I'm sorry."

Kara laughed, "Don't apologize. As long as we're together, I don't care what we're doing. Can I wash you though?"

"Of course," Lena smiled. "You can even undress me."

Gently, Kara began undressing her girlfriend, she stared lovingly at Lena and softly kissed every inch of skin she discovered on her way, wanting to make Lena feel how much she was loved until Lena found herself being completely naked under Kara's adoring gaze.

Kara smiled at her girlfriend and pulled off her own clothes. She took both of Lena's hands in hers as she led them to the shower.

They stepped inside and faced each other.

Lena turned on the water and smiled at Kara, "Thank you for being there for me."

"Always," Kara beamed and leaned in to softly kiss the tip of Lena's nose.

They slowly ran their hands over one another as they took turn washing each other, staying probably longer than necessary under the hot water that helped to relax their sore muscles until they finally stepped out.

Kara used her super-speed to dry herself before wrapping a warm towel around Lena and softly drying her off.

Lena felt tears well up into her eyes at the way Kara was taking care of her. It was the first time of her life that someone took care of her in such a intimate way, and the gentleness and love she felt through this made a rush of emotions swirl within her.

Always noticing everything, Kara slid a hand to Lena's cheek and caressed it softly. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Lena smiled through glistening eyes. "I'm just not use to have someone taking care of me like this. But that feels really, really good."

"Get used to it." Kara kissed softly Lena's cheek.

"Only if you let me return the favor." Lena said.

Kara chuckled. "Wait until I solar flare. I'm always a mess when I lose my powers."

"Does that happen often?" Lena asked worried.

"No, don't worry." Kara answered with a smile. "But when it happens, I always feel terrible."

"I'll be here to make it all better." Lena said lovingly.

"I have no doubt about that." Kara kissed Lena's lips. "Let's get you into some comfy pajamas." She took Lena's hand in hers and led them to the bedroom.

Kara quickly slipped into her pajamas and pulled out of the drawer the pajamas she knew Lena liked to sleep in the most.

With the gentleness she always had, Kara helped Lena to put the pajamas on and led her to the bed. She pulled out the sheets.

Lena smiled and hopped onto the bed, quickly laying down on the mattress. Kara beamed at her and tucked the sheets around her, she kissed Lena's forehead before using her super-speed to go at the other side of the bed.

As soon as Kara slithered under the sheets, Lena shifted closer to her, looking for her warmth.

Smiling, Kara put an arm out and Lena laid her head on her chest while Kara wrapped her arms around her, stroking her back and running a hand through her hair.

Lena draped an arm across Kara's upper body and slithered a hand under Kara's pajama top. She brushed slowly her fingers on Kara's soft skin.

"I love you so much, Kara." Lena said sleepily.

Kara smiled and kissed the top of Lena's head. "I love you too, Lena. I will always protect you, I promise. I love you so much."

Feeling safer than ever and with a smile on her face, Lena fell into a peaceful slumber.

Kara nuzzled Lena's hair and listened Lena's heartbeat and breathing until she followed her into a good restful night.

* * *

Without any difficulty, Lena managed to update her tracking device and quickly found Lillian's hideout. Kara had already written another article, this one proved Lillian's complicity to Lex's crimes while also exposing her own crimes that Kara had managed to dig up with Nia's help.

They called the authorities to get Lillian arrested but Lena wanted to be there when Lillian realized that she had been outsmarted by her, so here she was, standing outside Lillian's hideout with Kara standing beside her, supporting her like she had been doing ever since the two of them met.

Handcuffs around her wrists, Lillian was being dragged away, a neutral expression on her face until she saw Lena and Kara standing further away.

Lena waved her hand to her and smiled while Kara looked proudly at her girlfriend.

Lillian's eyes darkened in anger and her lips pursed until she was tugged into a police car.

Not long after, Lena and Kara were left alone.

Lena spun to Kara. Kara began leaning for a hug and Lena fell into her embrace.

"Please, tell me I'm finally free of them." Lena let out a sigh.

Kara rubbed softly Lena's back. "We'll do our best to make sure of that."

Lena slightly withdrew and smiled at her girlfriend. "Thank you for standing beside me every step of the way."

"There's nowhere I would rather be than at your side." Kara pressed a loving kiss to Lena's lips before resting her forehead with hers.

* * *

Lex's trial and Lillian's lasted a couple of days.

Lena testified against Lex and Lillian again. Kara, Alex, Kelly, Brainy, Nia, J'onn and M'gann were all there, gathered around her and supporting her, making everything feel better and giving her the hope that everything would be okay.

Lillian and Lex were going to serve multiple life sentences in two different prisons far away from each other with a high security system created by Lena.

Everyone sighed in relief when they heard the verdict. Lena nearly broke in tears when she realized that she wouldn't have to deal with them anymore. Kara pulled Lena closer to her and held her tight, kissing her cheek while Lex and Lillian glared at them, anger crossed their features as they were being dragged away, never to be seen again.

Lena was the first to stand up. "I think this call for a celebration," she smiled.

They all gathered at the Tower, not to talk about what happened these last weeks. Not to brag about how they had taken down Lex and Lillian either. Not to say how much they were relieved not to have to deal with them anymore.

Instead, they were all reunited to celebrate the joy of being together, knowing that they would face whatever would happen next just like they had already done it. They were a family and would always be stronger together.

Lena glanced around the room, seeing the people she loved the most gathered together. She felt truly at peace for the first time in her life and couldn't wait to keep living her life with these incredible people.

She smiled when she felt Kara's arms wrap around her from behind.

"You okay?" Kara asked quietly and kissed softly Lena's shoulder.

Lena spun her head to meet Kara's loving gaze. "I feel better than I have ever been," she answered with a beaming smile and connected softly her lips with Kara's.

Kara smiled, caressing Lena's cheek as she slightly pulled away until she slid her hand into Lena's and gave it a loving squeeze.

* * *

A couple of weeks went by, the team of Superheroes continued to work together, navigating living their lives while protecting National City against eventual threat.

Kara and Lena were still living together even though they hadn't made it official yet, and that was something that was starting to bug Kara. Because she needed to have that talk and she wanted Lena to know how much she was serious about their relationship. So serious that she had begun planning the perfect proposal in her head, but that wasn't something she was ready to do yet. She was thinking about it though, actively thinking and daydreaming about how that would feel like to be married to her best friend whom she had been in love with since the first time she laid her eyes on her. But for now, there was another important thing she wanted them to talk about. And she planned to do it as soon as possible.

It was Sunday, and none of them had to go anywhere for the day. Kara hoped with all her might that no villains would start wreaking-havoc on the city. So that she could spend a beautiful peaceful day with the woman she loved.

The day started quietly, Kara's eyes fluttered open on Lena who was looking lovingly at her, their legs were tangled together and their naked bodies were pressed in the best way against one another.

The sun filtered through the window, and Kara felt herself quickly waking up from her sleepy state. Although she wasn't sure that it was the sunlight that was giving her the strength she needed to feel good. She had a feeling that it was her love for Lena that made her feel that she could take on anything and make it out of everything okay.

With a beaming smile, Lena leaned down and softly put her lips on Kara's. Kara smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around Lena, pulling her closer as she gently deepened the kiss.

What started as a sweet kissing session quickly turned into a full hot mind-blowing make out session until Kara started panting when she felt Lena's hand caress softly the inside of her thigh as she peppered Kara's neck with kisses, sucking at her pulse point so hard that she would have left a mark if Kara had been human and drawing out a moan from her.

"Lena," Kara gasped and clasped lightly her hand on her girlfriend's shoulder, pushing her softly and gently asking her to go lower.

Lena smiled against Kara's neck and kissed it one last time. She pulled the bedsheets away from them and settled better on the top of Kara. She kissed her girlfriend's chest, which increased the pace of Kara's breathing while she kept to gently and silently ask her to go lower.

Relenting, Lena slid down faster, kissing Kara's abs and stomach until she settled between her girlfriend's already spread legs and didn't waste any time before diving her tongue into the wetness gathered for her.

Kara gasped and withdrew her hand from Lena's shoulder to grab onto the bedsheets with both of her hands, clutching hard the fabric and almost tearing it.

While still working her mouth on Kara's center, Lena looked up, seeing Kara grabbing tight onto the bedsheets and looking as though she was trying hard to stay still. Even though Kara was always gentle and didn't really seem to struggle to control her strength, she knew that the fear of hurting Lena while they were intimate hadn't gone away completely no matter how many times they had sex in the past couple of weeks. She made a mental note to talk about this later and chose not to tease Kara and give her what she needed. She pressed her tongue deeper into Kara's soaked folds, lapping and sucking at her center, and quickly bringing her to her release.

"Oh, Rao," Kara breathed out.

Lena smiled and slithered up, still atop Kara, she looked at her and leaned down, capturing her lips in a slow kiss, their tongue and lips sliding together until Lena withdrew and laid at Kara's side, draping an arm around her.

"You all right?" Lena asked and stroked Kara's hip.

Frowning, Kara turned on her side to look at her girlfriend. "Why wouldn't I be? Especially after what just happened?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

Lena chuckled until her expression turned more serious. "It's just that I've noticed that you seemed to hold back. And I wanna make sure I'm not doing anything that makes you feel uneasy. I want you to tell me if you're not feeling comfortable with something I'm doing." She stroked softly Kara's skin as she spoke.

Kara smiled, "I'm not feeling uncomfortable or uneasy with anything you're doing, Lena. Trust me. As I promised you, I would tell you if that was the case. I can tell for sure that being with you, that's by far the best sex I've ever had. But that's what scares me sometimes actually. Because, while I control my strength and I'm not afraid of hurting you when I'm the one touching you. When you're the one touching me, it feels a bit overwhelming sometimes. I've never felt so strongly about anyone until you and that makes me kind of anxious, because in certain situations I struggle to have a full control on some of my muscles." She blushed slightly.

Lena pressed soft a kiss to Kara's cheek. "I understand. And I think I can work something out to make things easier for you."

A hopeful expression lit up Kara's face. "Really?"

Lena nodded and smiled, "Yeah. Although I personally fully trust you not to hurt me. If you need something to trust yourself better, we can do that."

"What do you have in mind?" Kara asked eagerly.

"I was thinking of putting some red lamps in the room. What do you think?"

"I think you should do it in every room. Just to be safe." Kara smirked.

Lena chuckled, "I think I can do that."

"When?" Kara asked enthusiast.

Lena let out a laugh, "I'll start working on that tomorrow. It shouldn't take me too long to put that in place."

"And once again I'm grateful that my girlfriend is a genius." Kara smiled dreamily.

Lena beamed and shifted closer to her girlfriend, connecting their lips in a sweet kiss.

Kara slightly pulled away and wiggled her eyebrow, "How 'bout I show you how much I love you?"

Lena smiled, "I'm all yours, darling."

Kara beamed and captured Lena's lips with her own as she switched her position to be on top. She began scattering kisses over Lena's neck, taking a long time to ravish the freckle on her throat until she lowered her attention to Lena's chest and spent a while kissing her breasts before finally kissing her way to her stomach and gently placing herself to lick at Lena's drenched arousal, holding her thighs firmly but softly as her tongue delved deep into her slick folds until Lena grabbed tight onto Kara's back with both hands and bucked her hips against her mouth as Kara's name escaped her lips in a soft gasp.

Kara gently lunged her fingers into Lena's center, eliciting moans of pleasure that became louder when she trailed her mouth up to her clit and began sucking it as she thrust and curled into her, hitting all the right spots.

Lena squeezed Kara's back as she came quietly, she felt Kara slowing down the movements of her fingers until she carefully withdrew them while she kept licking her softly until Lena tugged gently at her girlfriend's hair and silently asked her to come up.

Their eyes met in a loving gaze as they smiled at each other and Lena placed a hand at the back of Kara's neck and gently brought their faces closer to connect their lips in a searing kiss.

The rest of their Sunday passed peacefully, they relaxed under a long hot shower before taking a breakfast with toasts, pancakes, scrambled eggs and coffee.

Early in the afternoon, they were sitting on the couch, curled up together as Lena was reading a book and Kara was playing a game on her phone. Lena rubbed softly Kara's thigh with one hand. Kara exhaled at this delicious contact and laid her head on Lena's shoulder. Kara smiled when she felt Lena kissing the top of her head, she looked up to see her girlfriend, her gaze still focused on her book as she still caressed softly Kara's thigh.

Kara felt her heart swell with love and happiness, and this time, she couldn't put off any longer the conversation she needed to have about their living arrangement.

"Lena, can we talk?" she asked softly.

"Sure," Lena said and Kara slightly pulled away so that they could look at each other. "What do you want to talk about?"

"It's about the fact that we started living together before we even started dating." She cleared her throat. "I was thinking that maybe, uh, um... It's..."

Lena set her book aside and looked down. "You want me to leave."

Kara's eyes widened, "What?"

Lena looked up and gave Kara a small smile. "It's okay, Kara. I don't want to intrude in your space. I know I was living here mainly for my protection. But I thought that... I mean... It's all right, really. We're not dating since that long and perhaps we shouldn't rush into thin..." Lena was cut off when Kara pressed her lips to hers and kissed her deeply, conveying all her feelings in that kiss.

Kara exhaled when she pulled back but she still held Lena's face in her hands. "That wasn't at all what I was gonna say." She caressed softly Lena's cheeks before sliding her hands down and taking Lena's hands in hers. "I wanted to tell you that I don't want to fall asleep without you by my side and I don't want to wake up without you in my arms either. I've always loved this loft, it's always felt like home, but something was missing for me to truly feel at home here. And when you came living here, I understood that it wasn't something that was missing, but someone. Actually, if I'm being honest, it's not so much this loft that feels like home since you're living here. It's you. Living with you makes me feel so safe and warm. I don't want to live without these feelings anymore. I don't want to live without you, Lena."

Lena felt slight tears well up into her eyes at Kara's declaration. "I don't want to live without you either." she whispered, a smile crossing her features.

Kara beamed. "So, what I wanted to ask you is... Do you want to live with me, Lena? We can stay here, or we could go to your penthouse, or we can find another place. I don't care, really, I just wanna live with you."

"I'd like to stay here," Lena smiled. "If that's okay with you."

"Of course it is." Kara leaned in and kissed softly Lena's lips. She exhaled blissfully and grinned from ear-to-ear. "I can't believe we're gonna live together."

Lena let out a laugh. "Kara, we've been living together for months."

"I know but that feels different now that we said that we're living together because we want to and not only because I want to protect you."

"Kara, I need you to be honest with me, did you ask me to live with you a couple of months ago only because you wanted to protect me?"

"I, um... it's..."

With an amused smile on her face, Lena quirked an eyebrow.

Kara let out small sigh. "My need to protect you is what helped me to be brave enough to ask you. But if I'm being honest I wanted you to live here. Especially after we spent our first night together. I know that we were only friends back then, but I knew that I wanted to spend every night like this, with you by my side."

"I wanted that too," Lena smiled. "Although I wasn't sure living with the woman I was trying to hide my love for was a very good idea at first. I started to refuse actually, if you remember."

"What's made you accept?" Kara let out a chuckle.

"You pouted, Kara. Do you know how impossible it is to resist you when you have the audacity to pout?"

"We all have our secret weapons. I know how to pout and you know how to raise one single eyebrow. Do you know the effect you have on me every time you do that?"

Lena smirked and quirked an eyebrow, "I may have an idea." She leaned forward and connected her lips with Kara's.

Kara hummed quietly against Lena's lips before slithering her tongue to find Lena's.

Lena gave Kara's hand a gentle squeeze as they kissed slowly for long minutes until she withdrew slightly and rested her forehead with Kara's.

"I love you, Kara." she said quietly.

Kara smiled, "I love you too." She gave another kiss to her girlfriend's lips. And kissed softly her cheek. Her smile widened as she looked at Lena."You can go back to your reading if you want now."

"Well, actually, there's something I would like to talk about with you." Lena said. "Something that you don't have to accept if you don't want to. And if you think it's really a terrible idea, that it risks to put the world in danger. Feel free to tell me and I won't go through with this. You have more knowledge than anyone else on this matter and I..."

"Lena, just ask me what you want. I promise you that I will listen to you, whatever it is." Kara gave Lena a reassuring smile.

"I've made some advancement with the company I wanna build. I will settle somewhere beside the Tower, so that I could still stay close to my main lab. I also thought about what kind of company I wanna run. It'll be similar to L-Corp in some aspects. But, I want it to be smaller. Mainly, because the projects I want to work on will be even more top secrets than those I've been working on when I was running L-Corp. And that's where you come in..." She trailed off.

"I'll be more than happy to help you, Lena. But I don't really understand how I can help you." Kara slightly furrowed her brow. "I have absolutely no knowledge on how to run a company."

"Well, science and technology were far more advanced on Krypton than they are on Earth, right?"

"So much more far advanced. Seriously, that's been one of the most disturbing things I had to face when I first got to Earth. I was really wondering how that was possible to live like this. And then I discovered that dogs existed and suddenly I understood that Earth could have wonderful things that Krypton didn't."

Lena let out a chuckle. She knew it wouldn't take long before Kara ask her if they could get a dog. She knew she would say no at first. She knew Kara would pout and before she knew it, she would be surrounded by a dozen of dogs.

"Anyway, let's not talk about dogs now, 'cause if I start, I won't be able to stop. How can I help you, Lena?" Kara brought Lena back to her initial thought.

"I wanted to know if you were okay with talking to me about all this. About how science and technology were on Krypton. So that I could make some research and try to make the world a better place. If you agree to build up Kryptonian technology with me, I know there's a risk it could fall into the wrong hands. After all, I don't have the best track record when it comes to technology I built for good actually being used for good. Same goes for science. But I truly think it can be different this time. That we can change the world and make it safer. I'm not talking about giving super-powers to humans. I kind of made that mistake once and I don't want to do it again. But if you agree to do this with me, I know that we could help a lot of people. Helping the world to get better is what I've always wanted to do, and that would mean the world to me if I could get to do this with you."

Kara stayed quiet for long minutes, taking in everything Lena just told her and thinking about what could happen if what they decided to do together would fall into the wrong hands. But she also couldn't shake out of her mind all the good they could do for the world.

Lena almost held her breath as she waited for what Kara was going to say. Kara's expression was quite unreadable, and that was a sight she wasn't used to see on her usually so open girlfriend. She looked down and began wringing her hands together.

Once her thoughts cleared, Kara took both of Lena's hands in hers and gave them a gentle squeeze.

Lena relaxed at this contact and looked up, meeting Kara's loving gaze and beaming smile.

"Let's do this." Kara smiled brightly and her eyes twinkled.

Lena's eyes slightly widened as a surprised expression crossed her features. "You sure?"

"Yeah," Kara nodded.

"You know it won't impact our relationship if you refuse. I would understand if you werent..."

"I want to do this, Lena." Kara kindly interrupted her girlfriend. "I really want to do this with you. Yeah, there's gonna be risks. So we'll have to be careful. But I trust you, Lena. And I believe in you. I believe in you, so much. And I want to help you achieve what you want. I want to support you in any way I can."

One tear spilled out of Lena's eyes, she let it roll down and smiled at her girlfriend. "That means more to me than I could ever say."

Kara brought her hand to Lena's cheek and swept the tear away with her thumb before resting her hand on her girlfriend's soft cheek. "I've always wanted to make the world a better place. And getting the chance to do this with you makes it even better."

"Stronger together," Lena smiled.

"Always." Kara leaned in and rested her forehead with Lena's for a couple of seconds before slightly pulling away, smiling. "How are you going to call this company?"

"SuperCorp," Lena said with a beaming smile on her face.


	7. The Start Of Something New

In the morning, Kara and Lena were getting ready for the day. After taking a shower together, because showering together actually saved the water as Kara liked to put it. Even though with the time they spent under the flowing water while their hands and lips explored each other's body, Lena wasn't really agreed with Kara's point of view, she wasn't about to start an argument and refuse to begin her day making out with her girlfriend before parting for the day.

In the doorframe of the bathroom, Kara was already dressed, her glasses were already put on, her hair was up in a bun, but she wasn't ready to leave yet. She was way too hypnotized by the sight Lena was offering her. Her heart fluttered and she felt like the luckiest woman in the world to have Lena Luthor as her girlfriend.

Lena was dressed with a black pencil skirt and a green blouse that brought out the green in her eyes and made her look even more alluring. To say the least, Kara was awestruck.

After brushing her long hair and deciding to let it down, Lena was finishing to apply some makeup, even though Kara always insisted that it was unnecessary because she was even more beautiful without makeup. That made Lena feel like the luckiest person on Earth to have such a loving partner, it was something that she never had before. Being with Kara brought her a whole new feeling of safety that she knew would always last.

Lena glanced from behind her shoulder, seeing Kara openly ogling her with a wonderstruck expression on her face.

"You're staring, darling," she smiled.

"I know." Kara breathed out, her gaze still deep on Lena.

Lena let out a chuckle, "I don't blame you. I stare at you a lot too."

"I noticed that," Kara nodded and stepped closer to her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her from behind.

Lena smiled and melted into the embrace until she gasped when Kara began scattering soft kisses on her neck as she rubbed her hands on her hips.

"No matter how much I want to. We don't have time for that, Kara." Lena spun around and put her arms around Kara's shoulders, she kissed very softly her girlfriend's lips and made sure that she wouldn't mess up her red lipstick and Kara's lipgloss.

Kara gently drew Lena closer to her, "How about I take you on a date tonight? We can go anywhere you want. And I mean literally anywhere."

"Dating a girl who can fly at its perks," Lena let out a laugh. "But I'm happy wherever I am as long as I am with you."

Kara smiled and started to lean in when her super-hearing picked up the sound of her sister's footsteps coming closer to the front door. She frowned and slightly pulled back.

Before Lena got the time to ask Kara what was wrong, she heard a knock at the door.

"That's Alex," Kara said as she headed to the front door.

Kara pulled the door open, and Lena walked into the main room while Alex entered into the loft.

Alex had a huge smile on her face and looked proudly at her sister. "Do you know?"

"Do I know what?" Kara asked confused.

Her smile widening, Alex handed Kara her phone, "Look."

Kara felt her heart skipping a beat as she read the headline.

_Kara Danvers : A superhero without a cape_

"I won the Pulitzer again," Kara said with surprise in her voice as she browsed the article with her super-speed, taking in everything she read.

The article talked about how she had denounced Lex and Lillian's Luthor crimes. It also talked about how much she had helped Supergirl to stop them from destroying the world. What Kara loved the most in this article what the fact that it also mentioned how much Lena had helped as well. Although the article praised mostly Kara for her work, it didn't fail to mention that Lex and Lillian's arrest had been a team work, and for that Kara was grateful.

Lena's face lit up with a smile. She stood behind Kara, reading the article, a sense of pride and love filling her chest.

She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, "I'm so proud of you, Kara." She kissed softly her cheek.

Kara turned her head to look at Lena and gave her a loving smile.

"We all are." Alex smiled. "And we're throwing a party tomorrow in your honor at the Tower."

"You don't have to do that." Kara blushed slightly and handed her phone back to Alex.

"I won't miss an occasion to tell my little sister how much I'm proud of her." Alex wrapped her arms around Kara and pulled her in a hug.

"Thank you, Alex." Kara tightened slightly her embrace around her sister.

Alex withdrew and smiled. "I gotta go. But I really wanted to congrats you in person. See you later." she said to Kara and Lena before walking out of the loft and closing the door behind her.

Lena put her arms around her girlfriend and gently tugged her closer to her. "I'll show you tonight how much I'm proud of you."

"I'm proud of you too, Lena." Kara smiled. "None of this would have been possible without you."

Lena slightly shrugged, "I'm glad I've been able to help."

Kara smiled and pulled Lena into a loving embrace, closing her eyes as she basked into the luck she had of being with the one she loved and knowing with an unwavering certainty that she was loved just as much.

* * *

Lena was looking around her new office. It was similar to the one she had at L-Corp except for the fact that it felt warmer and perhaps less intimidating. She wanted this place to reflect the feelings she was living with ever since she had finally freed herself from Lex and Lillian. She didn't feel such a heavy weight pressing on her shoulders anymore. She didn't feel anger nor guilt plaguing her heart anymore. That didn't mean that everything was always easy. That didn't mean that the pain she had endured had been erased, but it had been soothed with the love and support she was surrounded with and the love she was giving to herself. Despite everything she had gone through, Lena Luthor could tell without a doubt that she finally felt happy.

Her happiness increased as she sat down at her desk, her gaze getting caught by the photo frames she had set in front of her. There was a picture in which those who mattered the most to her were gathered, it had been taken at the party they had organized in Kara's honor a few days ago. There was another picture that she had taken of Kara a couple of weeks ago, seeing Kara's beaming smile even just in picture was enough to give her a sense of serenity she hadn't been used to feeling until Kara declared her love to her a couple of months ago, thinking of this day never failed to bring a smile to her face and flutters to her chest.

A knock at the door withdrew Lena from her thoughts.

She smiled, she knew from the particular sound of the knocking that it was Kara.

"Come on in," she said and stood up.

The door slid open, Kara walked into the room with _Big Belly Burgers_ bag.

Lena stepped closer to her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around her. "You are my favorite, Kara Zor-El Danvers," she whispered into her ear.

Kara smiled, her heart skipping a beat as she heard those words. No matter how many times Lena told her that she was her favorite, it never failed to make her happier than she already was. She kissed Lena's cheek and went to set the bag on the coffee table before sitting down on the couch.

Lena sat down beside Kara and began opening the bag to dig into her food.

Kara smiled amused, "Here I thought I was the food enthusiast between the two of us."

"You rub off on me. I'm not sure it's a good thing though. I don't have your fast metabolism."

"You're perfect, Lena." Kara kissed softly Lena's cheek. "I know I've already said it before, but that's true."

Lena smiled at her girlfriend, she knew Kara meant every word she said and it still made her awestruck sometimes to feel how much she was loved.

Kara glanced around the room. "I love what you did with your office."

Lena smiled, browsing the place before looking at her girlfriend. "Me too. I really enjoy working here."

"But I really do hope you're not planning on staying here until 11 pm."

Lena shook slightly her head and smiled, "I'll do my best to have reasonable working hours. I think I'll still be kind of a workaholic, but I don't want to spend nights in my office. I realize now that the only reasons I didn't want to come home was because I had no one to come home to. I never looked forward to going back to an empty place that made me feel even more alone. But things are different now, and I always look forward to come home to you, that's the best part of my day actually."

"Me too," Kara beamed.

"Do you know who's gonna introduce you at the Pulitzer party?" Lena asked after they were done eating their lunch.

"No, I..." She looked up and met Lena's loving smile. "That's you, isn't it?"

"If you want to," Lena nodded. "I got the proposition and I accepted, but that can be someone else if you prefer."

Kara slid her hand into Lena's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I wouldn't want anyone else."

Kara smiled brightly and Lena couldn't be happier as she realized that she was lucky enough to see this beaming smile aimed at her every single day.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, Lena, Alex, Kelly, Brainy, Nia, J'onn, M'gann and Eliza were all gathered around Kara to congrats her for her success.

Lena was getting ready to introduce Kara. The other couples were dancing together. Kara stood beside a table, looking at her family, and thinking about the love of her life, knowing without a doubt that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her.

Eliza sauntered closer to her daughter and smiled, "You look happier than I've ever seen you."

Kara looked at her mother and felt the smile on her own face, "I am. I didn't even know it was possible to feel so... I don't even know how to explain it."

"You don't have to explain it, sweetie. I get it. And I already thanked Lena for this."

Kara slightly frowned, "You what?"

"I talked to Lena. She wanted my opinion on a project she's working on. Somehow, we came to talk about you. And she told me how much she loves you. I told her that I've known for a long time that your friendship would take this turn sooner or later. And I thanked her for making you so happy."

"How did you know our friendship would take this turn?" Kara asked, a smile curling at her lips.

"The connection between you two is more than obvious. It's always been obvious to me, even though I wasn't sure if that was really just a strong friendship or something more, but my instinct told me that it was something more. I'm very glad I was right." Eliza smiled, looking at Alex and Kelly that were swaying into each other's arms with a loving smile on their faces. She turned to Kara, her smile not fading. "That's what I always wanted for you and Alex. To find love and be happy. That doesn't stop me from being worried sick about you two, given the field you're working on, but knowing that you both have wonderful incredible women to protect you and take care of you makes me feel better."

"Yeah, I gotta say we both got pretty lucky." Kara let out a chuckle.

"You both deserve it," Eliza smiled. "More than anyone."

Kara smiled at her mother before the music stopped and the room went silent.

She looked in front of her, seeing Lena appear on stage, dressed with a green gown. Her hair flowed in silky waves and a red lipstick colored her lips.

Kara was awestruck, her brain short circuited for a couple of seconds. Her breathing and her heartbeat quickened until her eyes met Lena's. Lena smiled at her, and Kara smiled back, her heart fluttered and her breathing calmed down. She felt like the luckiest person of the entire galaxy.

Still smiling, Lena began her speech. "I want to thank you all for coming. We're here today to honor Kara Danvers and the hard work she is doing to make the world a better place. The pen can be mightier than a cape, that's something Kara told me when she began working on those articles that have without a doubt saved the world. And she has proven that fact to be true, time and time again, and I do know that she will continue to do so, because that's who she is. Kara Danvers has a heart of a hero, she fights for the truth and to see justice done. She's an example to me and I think if everyone could be a little more like her, the world would be safer and so, so much more beautiful. So thank you, Kara, thank you for being who you are."

Tears rolled down Kara's cheeks at Lena's speech. She didn't try to hold them back. She gazed at Lena, knowing that she meant everything she said.

The crowd applauded after Lena's speech, but Lena only had eyes for Kara, she was dressed with a blue gown, her makeup was light and her hair was up in a bun. Her glasses hiding that she was Supergirl were put in place. It made Lena smile. She had come to terms with the fact that Kara Danvers and Supergirl were the same person. She didn't feel stupid anymore for not seeing it before, just like she wasn't angry anymore for not having been told sooner. It made sense after all, Kara Danvers and Supergirl were two heroes that saved the world over and over again, fighting in different ways but with the same kindness and passion. The only things Lena felt as she thought about that right now was honor and privilege for being one of those people allowed to gravitate towards both Kara and Supergirl, knowing that they were the same person. Her greatest gifts were knowing that she was loved by this incredible woman and being the one she was coming home to. Her gaze was deep on Kara as she silently promised herself to always protect her just as much as Kara protected her, just as much as Kara protected the world. Her love for Kara Zor-El Danvers would never fade and that was one of the few things Lena Kieran Luthor was sure of.

The applause stopped and Kara knew that it was her moment to make her entrance. She exhaled, wiped her cheeks and pushed her glasses up her nose before heading to the stage where the woman she loved waited for her with a beaming smile and a loving gaze.

Lena gently put her hand on Kara's forearm, she smiled at her. Kara beamed at Lena through her tearful eyes and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, pulling her closer and dragging her into an embrace that was worth thousand words.

Lena rubbed softly her cheek against Kara's and gave her body a gentle squeeze before withdrawing, still smiling at her favorite hero before getting down the stage and letting Kara speak about whatever she wanted to speak about.

Getting the strength she needed through Lena's embrace, Kara managed to gather her thoughts and put them into words. First, she spoke about what it meant to her to be a reporter, she thanked her mentor, Cat Grant. She thanked her friends who made her into a better person. She thanked her family. She thanked the people she loved for giving her the strength she needed. And then, she paused for long seconds, her gaze deep on her girlfriend. "I also feel the need to thank the one who has inspired me to become a reporter, Lena Luthor."

Lena's eyes slightly widened, she hadn't expected for Kara to mention her so explicitly, but it made her heart flutter. A lot of gazes turned on her, but she didn't care. She only saw Kara. A smile made its way to her face as she kept looking at the woman for whom she could do anything.

Kara smiled and continued, "I met Lena the first time I walked into her office. At that moment, I got the opportunity that everyone would dream of, to do the job I wanted. And I couldn't think of anything. Until I got mistaken for a reporter by none other that Lena Luthor. She made me realize what I always wanted to do even though I didn't know it. She made me understand that I could be what I wanted. So, whatever good I did in that line of work, and whatever I'll do in the future, that's because of you, Lena. Thank you for that. And thank you for being another hero without a cape."

Lena gave Kara a loving smile and swept away the tears that had fallen on their own accord, without her even realizing it until she tasted the salt of the slight tears that had escaped her eyes.

The crowd applauded once again, Kara only looked at Lena, and only felt the love they shared, feeling even more that she wanted to spend her life standing beside this woman, loving her and protecting her.

The music started again from the speakers.

Kara sauntered to Lena and stuck an arm out to her, "May I have this dance, Miss Luthor?"

Lena smiled, "Of course, darling." She slid her hand into Kara's.

Kara's face lit up with the happiest of smile. She put her hand behind Lena's back and Lena draped an arm around Kara's shoulders. They intertwined the fingers of their joined hands and swayed softly together.

Kara glanced down at Lena's lips, struggling not to lean forward. She looked up and noticed Lena glancing down at her lips too before looking up.

"Can we kiss?" Kara asked eagerly.

Lena quirked an eyebrow, an amused smile crossing her features.

Kara slightly blushed and smiled, "I mean, we are in public. I know everyone here probably knows that we are a couple. But I wanted to check if that was okay with you to kiss in front of everyone or if I should wait until we're home."

Lena smiled and scratched slightly the back of Kara's neck. "If you don't mind my red lipstick that's gonna make its way on your lips, you can kiss me. I would love nothing more actually."

"I've never minded it. I'm not about to start now." Kara breathed out. She leaned in and softly put her lips on Lena's, feeling her girlfriend smile against her lips.

Lena deepened the kiss before withdrawing, she smiled and slid her hand to Kara's face, gently wiping away the red lipstick marks that had made their way on Kara's lips and chin. She rested her hand on Kara's cheek and smiled at her, looking at her with a loving gaze.

Kara beamed and leaned forward to rest her forehead with Lena's.

They closed their eyes, their breathing mingling together and their hearts beating in the same rhythm.

After the party, Kara flew them home. Lena alternated from looking at her girlfriend to looking at the city, feeling serene even though she hovered miles feet above the ground in the open air.

When they got home, Kara gently put Lena down on the floor and made sure she was steady on her feet before slightly stepping away. Her super suit morphed into the dress she had been wearing all night.

Lena looked at her with love and desire, wanting nothing more than to show Kara how much she was proud of her and how much she loved her. She took Kara's hands in both of hers and kissed her lips before leading them to the bedroom.

They helped each other to slip out of their dresses, exchanging loving kisses as they did so.

Kara slightly stepped away and switched on the red lamp through an invisible mechanism that could only be activated by Kara's or Lena's print. The room lit up with a red glow, and Kara's powers, mainly her super strength, dampened without her feeling weak. She smiled and took Lena's hand in hers before making her sit down on the bed. She sat up in front of her and leaned in to capture Lena's lips with her own.

Lena smiled into the kiss before slithering her tongue into Kara's mouth, making a quiet moan escape from her girlfriend. She began laying on her back and pulled her girlfriend on the top of her, their tongue mingling together as they slowly got rid of their underwear.

Kara slightly pulled away and took in the sight underneath her, wondering how did she get so lucky and feeling more grateful than ever. Even more so, when Lena drew her in a searing kiss and began brushing her fingers on her back, sending shivers run up and down her spine.

Lena tugged Kara's bottom lip between her teeth and gently nipped at it before pressing her face into Kara's neck. She scattered kisses on the soft skin until she sucked at her pulse point, hard enough to leave a purple mark. She slightly pulled back and looked at the hickey she left on Kara's impenetrable skin, knowing that Kara actually loved when Lena marked her skin with love bites even though they would disappear quickly after the red glow would be turned off.

Kara gasped in pleasure when Lena sucked a hickey just above her breasts before soothing the skin with a soft licking and bringing her hands to Kara's cheeks.

Kara leaned down and captured Lena's lips in a scorching kiss, their tongue sweeping against each other in gentle strokes and their lips gliding together in soft caresses.

Breathless, they rested their foreheads together and stayed like this for a couple of minutes.

Kara moaned when she felt Lena cupping her sex before plunging her fingers through her wetness and rubbing at it. Wanting her girlfriend to experience the same pleasure she was feeling, Kara brought her hand between Lena's legs, feeling her girlfriend's warm arousal coat her fingers. She smiled and delved deeper into Lena, making her back arch from the bed as a gasp escaped her.

Their lips joined in a mind-blowing kiss and it didn't take long for them to feel an exhilarating bliss course through their entire bodies.

Kara fell down atop Lena and rested her ear just above Lena's heart, she smiled and her heart fluttered when Lena wrapped tightly her arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

Wrapped in Kara's warmth and feeling how much she was loved, Lena promised herself to never take her luck for granted and savor it at every second of every day.

* * *

Months passed by. The team of Superheroes was as united as they had always been and faced everything together as they protected the city with even more strength than before. Despite the fact that National City was far from being the calmest place on Earth, it had become safer.

Safe enough so that Kara and Lena could spend a lot of nights snuggled together on the couch. It was one of their favorite moments and they wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world.

Lena was reading a book while Kara was lying on the couch with her head resting on Lena's lap. It was quiet, peaceful and none of them would have ever thought that they could have spent such moments in which they felt completely serene.

But after months of living like this, Kara and Lena both knew that as long as they would fight for it, their love and happiness would never fade and always prevail.

Her eyes closed, Kara hummed quietly as Lena softly ran a hand through her hair before turning another page of her book. Her eyes blinked open and a smile spread on her face when she saw the twinkling lights of National City and the sparkling stars of the night sky reflect on Lena's face, making her look even more breathtaking than usual. She exhaled, feeling herself fall even more in love, and knowing with certainty that she wanted to marry this woman.

She sat up beside Lena and looked deeply at her, more sure than ever of what she was about to do.

Feeling her girlfriend's gaze on her, Lena looked at her, a slight frown making its way on her face even though a smile curled at her lips from the loving way Kara's gaze was locked on her.

She let out a quick chuckle, "What?"

"Marry me." Kara said, her tone was soft and strong and conveyed the intensity of her love.

Lena's eyes widened as her book fell down on the floor. Her heart quickened more than ever. She exhaled, a smile spreading on her face and tears welling up into her eyes that reflected the deep emotions swirling within her at this very moment.

She softly slid her hand into Kara's and rubbed slowly her thumb on it. "Kara, are you serious?"

"More serious than I've ever been," Kara nodded with a loving smile. "But there's no pressure, Lena. If you're not ready for that, that's okay. If you don't even want to get married, that's okay too. I just want to tell you that I love you and that I want to spend my life standing beside you."

Lena exhaled, feeling the tears well up even more. "I... I do want that, Kara. I want to be your wife."

Kara's face lit up. "You do?"

"I do," Lena smiled with a tear rolling down her cheek.

Kara put her hand to Lena's cheek and swept the tear away with her thumb, caressing softly her cheek until Lena took her hand in hers and kissed her palm before entwining their fingers.

"I just... I wasn't expecting you to propose right now." Lena said with her smile widening.

"Neither did I." Kara chuckled quietly.

Lena frowned slightly, her smile not fading.

"I knew I wanted to marry you," Kara said. "I've known that for a while. I've spent months thinking about the best way to propose to you. I wanted to make a big romantic gesture. But I just looked at you a couple of minutes ago, and I just couldn't hold it back any longer."

"I don't need a bit romantic gesture, darling. I just need you. I just want you. And your proposal is perfect to me." Lena smiled lovingly.

Kara beamed, "I wish I had prepared it anyway. I mean, I don't even have a ring to slide on your finger. No matter how much I wanted to propose, I hadn't planned to do it now."

Lena stayed silent for long seconds, her smiled widening and a glimmer shimmering into her eyes. "I hadn't planned to do it now either."

A crinkle appeared on Kara's brow as she wondered what Lena meant.

Lena smiled and leaned in to press a soft kiss to Kara's forehead, kissing the crinkle away. "Stay here, close your eyes and don't peek." she said and rose from the couch.

"Alright," Kara closed her eyes and heard Lena opening a drawer into the bedroom before sauntering back to the couch.

"You can open your eyes now," she heard the smile in Lena's voice.

Kara's eyes flew open to find Lena kneeling in front of her with a box in her hands and a beaming smile on her face. She looked down at the box, noticing a Kryptonian symbol on the top. She didn't need more to know what it was.

"Lena," she breathed out with tears brimming into her eyes.

Lena opened the box, letting Kara discover two identical bracelets of the same color. It was a mix of blue and green and fitted them both perfectly.

"We don't have ring. But we have bracelets. Which feels even better. That's how I wanted to propose. I don't know when I would have done it though. I was waiting for the perfect moment. But I realize now, it's always the perfect moment to tell you that I love you and that I want us to last forever. So, I've spent a couple of months working on those."

"You made those?" Tears rolled down Kara's cheeks. She wiped them quickly and stared awestruck at the love of her life.

Lena nodded, her eyes glistening with love.

"The day you got your second Pulitzer, I talked to Eliza. I asked her blessing to marry you. She gave it to me but told me that I also should ask Alex. I think she was mostly joking, but I did it anyway a couple of days later. Don't tell Alex I told you that, but she actually did cry and hug me as she gave me her blessing."

"She will deny it if I mention it to her." Kara chuckled.

"Probably," Lena agreed with a laugh. "Anyway. After that, I went to see Clark. He took me to the Fortress of Solitude and I've spent a lot of evenings working on those."

"So, all those evening meetings you told me you had, they weren't real." Kara said, thinking of all the times Lena apologized to her for coming home late.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I lied to you. I know we promised we would never lie to each other and that we would never hide anything either."

"I can let it slip for this time." Kara let out a chuckle.

Lena let out a soft laugh and took Kara's hand in hers. She gazed deeply at Kara and smiled, "Will you marry me, Kara Zor-El Danvers?"

"Yeah," Kara exhaled. "I want nothing more than to spend my life loving you, Lena Kieran Luthor."

Lena beamed brightly through glistening eyes and took one of the bracelets out of the box. Her gaze locked on her fiancée, she slowly fastened the bracelet around her wrist and slid down her hand into Kara's, giving her a soft squeeze, her eyes shining with love and happiness.

Kara looked down at the bracelet around her wrist, and tears spilled out of her eyes. She turned her gaze on her fiancée and could only think about how much she was lucky that this incredible woman was going to be her wife.

Still gazing at Kara with love, Lena brought her hands to her fiancée's cheeks and gently swept the tears away before resting her hands on Kara's cheeks.

Kara took both of Lena's hands in hers and kissed them before leaning down and picking up the other bracelet out of the box. She brushed softly Lena's wrist with her thumb and looked up at her as she fastened the meaningful bracelet around her wrist.

Their gazes locked together as they smiled, and their hands joined perfectly. They softly entwined their fingers and kept staring lovingly at each other.

Kara pulled Lena up and made her sit on her lap, wrapping her arms around her as they sealed their engagement with a kiss that was worth thousands words.

They rested their foreheads together for a while.

Words were useless for them to communicate what they felt but the feelings swirled so strongly within them that they felt the need to say them out loud.

Lena slightly pulled away and smiled. "I love you so much, Kara," she whispered.

Kara beamed, "I love you too, Lena. More than I've ever loved anyone." She leaned in, punctuating her declaration with a kiss on Lena's lips. "I love you so much."

Happier than they had ever been, Kara and Lena smiled at each other, feeling serene about their future even though they knew that their lives wouldn't always be easy.

They both knew with an unwavering certainty that they were stronger together and that nothing could ever tear them apart.

The strength of their bond would always make them win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


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